From ANGELA SCHWALBE
I am writing with regard to the article ‘Balanced muscles kick injury into
touch’ (This Week, 24 April).
Physiotherapists, especially those working in the field of sports medicine,
have been using isokinetic dyna-mometry for a number of years, utilising
machines such as the KIN COM and CYBEX. Isokinetics have been used
extensively in the prevention and treatment of sports related injuries. To
suggest that this is a new method to spot and treat muscles that are weak or
that it is one offered exclusively by ergonomists is incorrect.
Anyone working with athletes must realise that imbalances in muscle strength
are only one of the many factors that predispose an athlete to injury.
Factors such as imbalances in muscle length, soft tissue adhesions, residual
pain and joint instability also need to be considered in any pre-season
screening. The recognition and remediation of these additional factors would
appear to be outside the scope of an ergonomist’s area of expertise.
In conclusion, I feel that the opening remark that ‘footballers who are
prone to injury could benefit more from a session with an ergonomist than a
physiotherapist’ not only shows ignorance as to the role of
physiotherapists in sport but is also quite misleading.
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Angela Schwalbe
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
