07/05/2019
While I was away recently, I had some time to put together some thoughts on CrossFit and injuries...
In Osteopathy land CrossFit patients are really unique. Generally speaking most are hopeful that they can come in for 1 visit, maybe 2 at a stretch and we can just wave a magic wand and fix pain that has been persistent for months and has now become unbearable and is actually forcing them to modify their training, which prompts the visit for treatment in the first place because the pain wasn’t enough to pull that trigger.
CrossFit patients are SO different to other athletes- most other athletes take a little ni**le very seriously and are willing to drop everything and do what it takes to get rid of the pain ASAP. CrossFitters want to do the absolute minimum to be able to go back to full training and then basically just hope for the best.
It’s actually unusual to see acute injuries that happen in the box. The vast majority are slow burners- poor posture, repetitive work, muscle strength imbalances, a complete lack of stretching/mobility work, old injuries all coming together to overuse a few tissues in the body, cause strain and bingo- we have pain and a function limiting injury.
CrossFit by nature will not let you hide your imbalances - it will expose them and if they are not rectified then you will have pain. Most people are not willing to pay any attention to the little ni**les that settle in every now and then and that’s a problem. Regular mobility work definitely helps to clear away some of this build up of poor function. If your knees cave when you squat, work on it. If you can’t get a good overhead position, heavy sn**ch ain’t your friend.
I think CrossFit also attracts people who are used to being good at things, high achievers and people who like to challenge themselves and grow. This mindset can also be a problem- the stigma of scaling a workout is often a hard pill to swallow for some and they will push through soreness just to click Rx, or to beat the person next to them- the competitive nature, even if all for fun, can be trouble. I think a lot of CrossFitters really need to ask themselves what are you doing it for? Does Rx really matter today if you will be in pain tomorrow and the next day? Are you here for a good time or a long time?
If ‘Health and Wellness’ is what you’re after- let’s add in the complete dosage of that- include mobility work, back off on your ‘I don’t feel so great days', work on your weaknesses regularly, don’t go heavier until you’ve got techniques and positions nailed.
Take home message
1) Respect the ni**les
- This is your body’s way of signalling that something is up
- Tell your coach, have a chat to a health professional
- Stop/modify the things that make it hurt
- Add in some extra mobility, stretching, accessory work to address it
- Reassess after a week and if no pain, reintroduce those movements but be mindful ie. be sensible with load and volume in the short term
- If the pain persists, continue to seek support from coach and health professional
2) Commit with as much vigour to stretching/mobility/accessory work as you do to WODS
- Write up a weekly program and JUST DO IT
- Heaps of resources online- Romwod, mobility wod, you tube yoga to name a few
Sample program:
M- banded glute work, hip extensions
T- crossover symmetry, bench pulls, trigger shoulders
W- banded glutes, extended hip and lower back stretching
T- long stretch session- yoga, Romwod etc
F- strict gymnastics accessory work, crossover symmetry, thoracic mobility
*this program is not exhaustive and is additional to daily stretching/mobility
3) Set some goals
Help to define ‘what am I here for ?’
Plan for these goals allowing space and time, remembering that ageing well should be a goal for all of us.
It’s useful to have a separate upper body and lower body goal when working through an injury.
CrossFit is demanding- respect it, respect your body and keep having fun.
