Highland Games inuries

[Alan H]

Auld Argonian asked this question in another thread, and I thought it would be worth discussing:

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Originally Posted by auld argonian

I'm sure that you can get back in shape but those heavy events look like they're the sort of thing that can cause some serious damage if you haven't trained very specifically for them. Alan, what are the most frequent chronic problems for Highland Athletes and how do you train to prevent them?

Best

AA

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I'm going to go out on a limb and classify the injuries that I've seen reported on the NASGA site as belonging to three categories...

1.) competition injuries
2.) training injuries
3.) overuse injuries
4.) lifestyle injuries, or more appropriately, " diseases"

1.) Competition or training injuries

I think the most common competition injury I see/hear about is tearing a bicep, or tearing the proximal bicep tendon when "blocking" a REALLY hard sheaf toss. You need to "block" really hard to get the sheaf to *pinnnngg* off the fork, that's a given. And of course, the harder you throw, the higher it goes. It's a recipe for potential problems. What to do about it?

Personally, I do some bicep curls in the gym. Curls are absolutely useless when it comes to throwing, all they do is give you big biceps, but biceps are not really a muscle group that pays off, when it comes to throwing. Big biceps are what lots of guys want, though, so a LOT of guys do them, like crazy. Strengthening the biceps and the biceps tendon at the head should help with being able to resist the impact force of a huge "block". Just don't go overboard with it.

I also have started throwing sheaf slightly differently, in a manner which involves "sticking the hip" more, with a slightly less hard block. Hopefully that will also help.

The second competition injury that I see crop up is sprained ankles. This usually comes from stepping in a hole on the field while running up the caber. However, honestly, in five years of throwing, I've only seen this twice.

I have never seen anybody get hurt by a weight over bar coming back down on them.

I HAVE heard of guys messing up a rotator cuff or tearing a bicep with a big weight-over-bar pull. That happened last year However, invariably these are from guys who don't really know how to do it, usually new guys. WOB should not be a huge pull from the shoulders, but rather, should involve explosively "standing up" driven by the hip flexors, quads and buttocks. Sure, there's a pulling component in the upper body, but the vast majority of the force is really applied by the hips and core, much like an weight lifting movement called a power clean.

[auld argonian]

I was thinking specifically about the rotator cuff...looks like a lot of very abrupt stress there and the potential for some serious damage. I think that the abruptness of some of the motions is where I see the potential for injuries.

Best

AA

[Alan H]

Training injuries.... meaning injuries either in the gym or during practice.

PRACTICE

The only injury, besides a mashed finger, here and there, that I've ever had during actualy HG events practice, was that I strained my back doing a long series of hammer winds.

My mentor, Mike Pockoski, is the world hammer champion, twice now. Mike was a nationally-ranked hammer thrower in college, and finished 5th in the USA National Meet in 2006. He told me that he starts out his season by doing *Hundreds* of hammer winds. OK, well I'm an old guy, I can't really do HUNDREDS, but I can do a hundred in sets of ten, each day for the first couple of weeks of the season. Last year, somewhere in the 70's I strained my lower back. It took 2-3 weeks to heal up from that.

Knees are a potential damage point, especially in the stones and weights. That's because you need your foot to be able to rotate on the grass while doing the throw. If you wear really "grabby" cleats, that can cause problems, sometimes with your knees. Many guys will change out of their turf shoes...on ONE SHOE... when the open stone event comes up, and put on a discus/shotput throwing shoe on the foot that rotates. Mike has a pair of old-style soccer cleats with the old cylindrical cleats. He's ground most of them off, leaving a couple on the heel and one right under the ball of his right foot. When he rotates the foot, it rotates around that one remaining cleat.

Tanel 360 cleats/shoes are popular with the Pro's as well. The metal cleats on those shoes are arranged in a circular patterns, which is supposed to allow for easier rotation during the stones and weight throws.

Personally, I "stand" both of my stones throws, so this is not an issue for me. I am gliding my open stone "sometimes" but I'm nowhere near good enough to be getting my back foot to rotate in the glide, so again, not an issue. It's the rotational stone throwers that have this problem....and seriously advanced weight for distance throwers who actually can rotate their pivot foot to open up the hips.

TRAINING IN THE GYM

Dropping a weight on your foot? Hey, it happens. Also, doing really stupid things like jumping up on a latex workout ball with weights in your hand, seem to be all the rage with some ASININE trainers out there. Obviously, don't do stupid stuff like that. Bosu's are a lot more stable than a workout ball, if you really want to work your knees in an unstable setting, then lunge or jump onto a bosu. Those big latex workout balls are great for stretching and sitting on. Period.

A common issue is to strain a muscle, especially groins, when doing big deadlifts and/or squats and not warming up/stretching enough. Us older guys, especially have to be concerned with lower back and disk compression when doing repetitive squats and deadlifts, or pulling "big" weights.

I don't hear about guys getting hurt doing situps!

I DO see guys, all the time in the gym, lifting close to their PR's without spotters, or without the safety bars being in the right place. What I see ALL THE TIME is some guy doing a flat bench press with close to their PR on the bar, but the supports which are supposed to keep the weight from smashing their chest, if they lose it, it set six inches below chest level. Dudes... seriously? What the hell do you think those things are there for?

The exact same thing goes for the safety bars for squats. If you lose a squat at the bottom, you don't want the bar to drop another foot before it stops. So place the safety supports at an intelligent height.

About stretching..... There are a million discussions about stretching, and I am no expert. However, I start every single workout in which I will be squatting or deadlifting with 5-8 minutes of static stretching of hamstrings, groin, piriformis and quadriceps. I know that if I don't, I will hurt within 48 hours. If I'm going to be squatting big, rather than for speed, I will add in 3-5 minutes of spinning at moderate speed on a stationary bicycle. I may also do something recommended to me by a trainer-friend, called 2-D hip stretches.

If you're going to be deadlifting big, it's probably wise to warm up your lower back by doing a set or two of light Good Mornings.

Be aware of your body. There's a difference between muscle ache and recovery, and damage. The old adage "train through the injury" is BS, if you ask me. If you get hurt, then BACK OFF and heal. This goes ten times over if you're not 26 years old any more. Be aware of potential weaknesses, and if you don't feel right, then don't go for that last set at 90% of your PR.

[Alan H]

OVERUSE INJURIES


These things are epidemic in the HG community. I can't tell you how many guys are sporting multiple rotator cuff, knee, and ankle surgeries.

The thing is, from what I've seen, most of these things are not single-incident, catastrophic events. Instead, they're the result of cumulative damage over many years.

Much of it has to do with mindset. I know one very good thrower in Texas who is a great guy, but who is convinced that he has nothing in his life worth anything outside of Highland Games. So even though his knee is screwed up, he will not back off, HAS to keep lifting huge weights and throwing all the time.

I can't tell you the number of guys with worn-out rotator cuffs.
Fifteen or twenty years of throwing and lifting takes its toll.

What to do about this? I'm not sure, I've only been doing this for five years, but here are my thoughts.

A.) Take some time off every year. Don't lift, throw or do anything hard for a full month, each year. This stuff is hard, let your body recover.

B.) know your body, know when it's time to back off and heal. You won't fall apart if you take a week off.

C.) Beware of extremely repetitive, high load activities. Hey, I love Crossfit, but doing hardcore Crossfit for fifteen years is going to mess you up. Repetitive, high load Olympic lifting is NOT good for you, as the years pile up.

D.) be very aware of overtraining. If you are working so hard that it becomes a chore to climb a flight of stairs...back off.

e.) Do a variety of stuff. Don't just hit the gym and do powerlifting all winter and then throw all summer. How about doing some swimming, playing basketball with the guys, riding your bike, going for a hike with your kids? Hey, drag out the snowshoes and pull the kids around the back 40 with them sitting on a sled. That'll kick your hindquarters, eh? Variety is good.

[Alan H]

LIFESTYLE INJURIES


This has everything to do with mindset.

Highland Athletes have to be BIG, right? That means "pack on some weight" because that 56/42 pounder is *Heavy* and mass moves mass, right? Well...right, except that packing on extra weight for 25 years can give you heart disease. So be sensible about this.

There are guys out there who wear their surgeries like a badge of honor. "I've had six knee surgeries and I'm still throwing!" .... Don't fall into this. It's a LOT better to take care of yourself so you don't need those surgeries in the first place. It's also wise to realize when it's time to be DONE...... is throwing one more season in your late 40's worth giving up the ability to go hiking with your grandchildren when you're 65? I sure don't think so.

Mostly, just understand that we do this for fun. I had a discussion with a number of the Pro's at Pleasanton two years ago, where we talked about how Highland Games is what we DO, but it's not who we ARE. these guys love to throw. They LOVE it, and it's fun for them. But they all know that they have families to live for, a God that they believe in, and other things which are more important than how far they can throw a hammer.

Don't ever get so involved that you lose sight of the rest of your life. Like my friend Kelly Niklasen said.... "We're throwing rocks and sticks! GET OVER IT!"

Highland Games...and weight training and all of it is PART of your life, but should not be ALL of your life. It's a great community of people, and even if you can't throw at all, or if you should really back way off on the training and only throw 2-3 times a season you can still be involved in lots of ways. Trust me, we ALWAYS need judges. We ALWAYS need someone in the tent, someone to help out with the trigs, someone to start up a new Games with a new Club. New throwers need mentors and coaches....you can be involved for 40 years if you want to. You'll come to find out that the men and women who make it happen, who give back to the sport get just as much respect as the guy winning the World Championship, or turning that 140 pound caber in front of the crowd.

[Alan H]

NEW THROWERS....

I've seen a thousand people who've never thrown before come out for one Games as a newb, or one/two practices and walk away with no more damage than some muscle soreness. Honest truth.... I've never seen or heard of a newb with little or no experience, who doesn't work out, come out and seriously hurt themselves.

Truth. I swear it.

What I HAVE seen is guys with a lot of macho attitude, who bench press big numbers in the gym, come out for one Games and try to muscle everything, and get hurt pretty badly. This sport is NOT about how much you bench press. I've seen throwers who should know better, do a throw completely (grossly) wrong and get hurt, too. I recall a local Master to messed up his shoulder pretty badly (he'd already torn it, waterskiing) a few years ago by pulling an unusually large caber WAY too hard with his shoulders, and not popping it with his core/hips/quads. It can happen. However, if you learn to do it right, it's unlikely that you'll get hurt. Hey, the weight may not go very far, or the caber might not go over, but you'll walk away from it with a smile on your face.

So....who should try this stuff?

If you don't have a nagging lower back or rotator cuff or knee issue, then you can, and should try it, if you want to. Maybe one Games, with your certificate in the C or Novice class is all you need. You DID IT! Now you know what it's all about. Well, guid on ye, lad! I'm all for that.

After that first Games, maybe you get hooked....you try it again. That's great. It's time to start working out a bit. Go read the "off season workout" and the "So you want to be an athlete" threads here in this forum. That will give you an idea of what to start out with. Find a more experienced thrower in your area, and work with them. Watch YouTube videos. YOU CAN DO IT, and the odds are very good that you won't get hurt, at all...and if you DO get hurt, it will probably be something that you will heal up from in a week or two.

The people who get seriously hurt are, generally speaking (there are exceptions):

A) testosterone-soaked newbs who don't know how to throw, but who are very strong and apply a LOT of force in totally the wrong way...

B.) guys who are "into" this sport for many years, and develop overuse injuries, or chronic lifestyle issues because they can't see the bigger picture beyond the Highland Games.

cheers! I hope this was helpful. I'm sure o1d_dude will have a mess of good insights, as well.

[Alan H]

Poop...Hey mods, could one of you correct my glaring typo in this threads title? Sheesh.

Thanks, guys.

[o1d_dude]

1. Getting hit by an implement (stones, weights, hammers).

This is worst of all possible injuries so pay attention to the direction you are being give by an experienced thrower.
a. When you are on the field be aware of what's going on around you.
b. When you're not actually throwing, stand near the edge of the field and keep the throwers in front of you.
c. There is no excuse for checking your email, browsing the web, etc. on your mobile phone while you're on the athletic field. NONE.
d. Be aware of where an implement might go if the thrower inadvertently releases it and that DOES happen. There is an area called "The Kill Zone". Don't sit or stand there.
e. When you hear "Heads up!!" it means an implement is quite possibly heading your way. Look around to see what's going on.
f. Stay away from throwers taking practice throws, hammer winds, caber pulls, and such. Think of walking into a propeller blade like in Indiana Jones.

2. Getting hit by a caber

This is serious business and you do not want this to happen to you or anyone else by your fault.
a. When the call is given "Caber up!!" that means the caber is upright and means the same thing as "Heads up!!"
b. Unless you are the thrower or judge, never stand near the thrower within the length of the caber. This means if the caber should fall, you will be outside of its range.
c. A caber can bounce up after hitting the ground. If it bounces up and strikes you in the privates you may be sing soprano. If the bounce takes the caber up into your face, that's very bad.
d. A falling caber cannot be caught nor can it be outrun. You must side step out of its way.
e. If the judge tells you to drop the caber and get out of the way, DO IT!
f. When carrying the caber to and from, never drop your end and be aware of what the fellow on the other end is doing as well. Leading cause of cracked collarbones.

Just so you don't think I'm making all this up, I personally have seen one particular thrower struck twice by hammers in flight, another thrower struck in the calf by a thrown weight, a judge struck by a falling caber (she forgot the rule about not try to outrun the caber), and a thrower struck in the mouth by a bouncing caber that knocked out a few teeth. That's all that come to mind at the moment. There are many reported injuries on the various Highland Athletics website forums relating sheaf forks to the knees, thrown weights to the skull, and other grim injuries.

Be careful out there and keep your mind on what's going on.

[Alan H]

There's a story out there about a certain SHA athlete losing a 28 for distance and hurling it into the crowd. It was aimed at a little girl. If it had hit her, if would have put her in the hospital for sure and might have killed her.

Ben Plucknett...GIGANTIC Ben Plucknett stepped up and took that weight in the thigh. Apparently it bounced off. He rubbed it out, but I hear tell that even Ben had a bruise that lasted for weeks.

I've taken a 28 for distance on the foot once. ...why? because I was stupid and not paying attention. it was my own stupid fault. I caught it in the ankle after the first bounce. Hurt like the dickens, but I was OK.

I've also seen someone basically "catch" a hammer....at Monterey a few years ago. Fortunately it was a new guy throwing, there wasn't too much force behind it but still...16 pound hammer in the chest? Not my idea of a fun day.

Pay attention when you're on the field!

[GoodGirlGonePlaid]

I took a 28#er to the calf, on the back pull. Knocked me to the ground.
Hurt like a mofo, and it wasn't even going fast.