Starlings - Elbow
During my Sports Medicine MSc at UCL last year we covered a variety of sports and exercise activities, and their related injuries. This week, I have been introduced to something new, aerialism. Whilst I have seen these acts performing in the background to a main event, it is only now, having researched the art, that I am beginning to understand the Strength, skill and danger involved in this type of Performance. Below is a brief overview of aerialism, and how Osteopathy can help these types of performance arts.
Aerialism is a form of acrobatics performed in the air, with the use of suspended apparatus including a trapeze, rope, aerial silk and aerial hoop. Although the art form has been around for some 4000 years, its recent emergence is down to acts such as the Cirque du Soleil bringing the performance to the masses. Performances and music are often orchestrated specifically for the dramatisation of an aerialist act, as well as being used by pop acts such as Britney Spears to enhance their own performances.
Aerialism is not just a performance art, it is also an excellent way of keeping healthy. Benefits of aerialism include promotion of perception, proprioception, coordination and physical fitness that come about through training. So what can go wrong? Those at the top end of this art are performing at anything between 25 and 50 feet in the air, on a smooth, shiny piece of silk, with no safety net below! All that is between a nasty Injury (or even fatality) is the performer's own limits of physical strength and skill. Some get lucky, falling 25 feet and escaping with only a few broken bones... others may not be so 'lucky'.
Osteopathy can help with the treatment of injury, prevention of injury/re-injury and rehabilitation. A female aerialist in her early 20s presented with low back Pain following a fall from a trapeze at 25 feet during training. This fall was triggered by a pain in the forearm, affecting the grip to her little finger. Luckily, she landed on a crash mat and was able to walk away from the incident, leaving her with low back, hip and pelvis pain, as well as this forearm and upper limb Nerve pain.
The problem with gripping and the forearm pain may be indicative of Nerve Irritation, stemming anywhere between the neck, shoulder and the elbow. Nerve entrapment/irritation can affect muscle strength and hence grip, which ultimately led to the fall. Release of this nerve irritation can be achieved by relaxing and realigning the muscle or joint affecting the nerve. Techniques include deep tissue massage, joint mobilisation and manipulation, depending on the cause of the pain.
If you have had a similar injury, or would like to know how osteopathy can help with your activity, it may be worthwhile coming to see us at Hashim Saifuddin Osteopathy, where we can treat a variety of issues contributing to injury and help with rehabilitation to get you up and in the air again (if that's where you want to be!).
Visit http://www.hashim-osteopathy.co.uk/ for more information or feel free to email me on [email protected]
During my Sports Medicine MSc at UCL last year we covered a variety of sports and exercise activities, and their related injuries. This week, I have been introduced to something new, aerialism. Whilst I have seen these acts performing in the background to a main event, it is only now, having researched the art, that I am beginning to understand the Strength, skill and danger involved in this type of Performance. Below is a brief overview of aerialism, and how Osteopathy can help these types of performance arts.
Aerialism is a form of acrobatics performed in the air, with the use of suspended apparatus including a trapeze, rope, aerial silk and aerial hoop. Although the art form has been around for some 4000 years, its recent emergence is down to acts such as the Cirque du Soleil bringing the performance to the masses. Performances and music are often orchestrated specifically for the dramatisation of an aerialist act, as well as being used by pop acts such as Britney Spears to enhance their own performances.
Aerialism is not just a performance art, it is also an excellent way of keeping healthy. Benefits of aerialism include promotion of perception, proprioception, coordination and physical fitness that come about through training. So what can go wrong? Those at the top end of this art are performing at anything between 25 and 50 feet in the air, on a smooth, shiny piece of silk, with no safety net below! All that is between a nasty Injury (or even fatality) is the performer's own limits of physical strength and skill. Some get lucky, falling 25 feet and escaping with only a few broken bones... others may not be so 'lucky'.
Osteopathy can help with the treatment of injury, prevention of injury/re-injury and rehabilitation. A female aerialist in her early 20s presented with low back Pain following a fall from a trapeze at 25 feet during training. This fall was triggered by a pain in the forearm, affecting the grip to her little finger. Luckily, she landed on a crash mat and was able to walk away from the incident, leaving her with low back, hip and pelvis pain, as well as this forearm and upper limb Nerve pain.
The problem with gripping and the forearm pain may be indicative of Nerve Irritation, stemming anywhere between the neck, shoulder and the elbow. Nerve entrapment/irritation can affect muscle strength and hence grip, which ultimately led to the fall. Release of this nerve irritation can be achieved by relaxing and realigning the muscle or joint affecting the nerve. Techniques include deep tissue massage, joint mobilisation and manipulation, depending on the cause of the pain.
If you have had a similar injury, or would like to know how osteopathy can help with your activity, it may be worthwhile coming to see us at Hashim Saifuddin Osteopathy, where we can treat a variety of issues contributing to injury and help with rehabilitation to get you up and in the air again (if that's where you want to be!).
Visit http://www.hashim-osteopathy.co.uk/ for more information or feel free to email me on [email protected]
Thanks for reading!
Hashim Saifuddin (M.Ost DO ND)
GOsC Registered Osteopath
Osteopathy / Sports Osteopathy
Hashim Saifuddin (M.Ost DO ND)
GOsC Registered Osteopath
Osteopathy / Sports Osteopathy
