Page 6 - The Hockey Academy News November 2017

BRIDGING THE GAP
Utilization of the Functional Movement Screen and collaboration between physical therapists and strength coaches aims to optimize performance and function in area athletes.
Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies has recently
collaborated with Skill of Strength (SOS) in North Chelmsford to return athletes of all ages and abilities to the top of their game. Emerson Hospital’s renowned orthopedic and sports physical therapists will now be available on-site at Skill of Strength providing physical therapy to both current SOS clients as well as members of the local community.
This treatment model bridges thegapbetweenreturntofunction and return to sport and allows for the highest level of continuity between physical therapist and strength coach providing a true return to sport rehab experience.
The aforementioned collaboration provides an ideal environment for both athletes who are in need of physical therapy to rehab an existing injury or for those looking for a program to ensure readiness for an upcoming sports season or for strategies to maintain maximal health and performance during a current sports season. Ice
hockey players are no exception. In developing a rehabilitation and/or strength and conditioning program for ice hockey players a thorough evaluation is vital due to the fact that each individual athlete presents with their own unique combination of strengths and impairments. For example, some athletes may require extra mobility work for their hips while others may present with adequate hip exibility but instead need to address balance and core stability impairments. Others still may need tofocusonrehabilitationofaninjury and recovery during their training. As one can see, rehabilitation and/ orstrengthandconditioningforthe ice hockey player should not be a one-size- ts all approach.
So the question becomes, how do we determine what an athlete needs to perform to their maximum potential? This is where The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) comes into play. This screen is utilized by both the physical therapist and strength and conditioning professionals at SOS in order to pinpoint speci c movement
patterns that are faulty and need improvement. Additionally, the FMS can uncover pain experienced by the athlete while performing these basic movements and identify the need for referral to a medical professional to determine the root cause of the pain.
The information gathered from the FMS gives the physical therapist and/or strength coach insight into optimal movement preparation, program design and recovery strategies for each individual athlete, while the collaboration between the strength coaches and therapy sta provide the athletes with a spectrum of training and treatment resources to maximize performance and health.
To inquire about the services mentioned above please visit the Skill of Strength website at www.skillofstrength.com
Crystal L Fontas, DPT
Emerson Hospital’s Center for Rehabilitative and Sports Therapies
Chief PT of Facility Practices
6 NOVEMBER 2017 | THEHOCKEYACADEMY.COM
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