Message from the CEO

  

Luis Suarez, of trade team Liverpool, took matters into his own teeth this weekend, mirroring Mike Tyson's 1997 bite of Evander Holyfield at the MGM Grand.

Fighting, Biting, and Recovery at the World Cup

 

The World Cup soccer tournament has become wildly popular in the United States, and the elite athletes showcased there are appreciated more than ever. Most of the game looks like a slow-motion chess match with million-dollar athletes jogging about the field, casually making difficult passes look routine -- and then there is a sudden burst of activity as players leap into a full sprint with one aberrant pass, and suddenly it's "game on." Only then is their extreme athleticism and competitive nature apparent. Sprinting, cutting, diving, and jumping for contact with the ball, these nimble warriors are never more competitive than when they are playing for their country.

 

Holding, tripping, and even the dramatic "flopping," the exaggerated response to the lightest contact between players that sends them crashing to the ground writhing in pain, are somewhat understandable. But biting? Really? How thick does the fog of war have to be for a modern day professional athlete to resort to using his teeth as a weapon? Not that it is unprecedented in sport. I was at the MGM Grand Arena when Mike Tyson tore off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear with his teeth, and I have seen other athletes in combat sports find flesh between their teeth and bite down in frustration. 

 

But what drives an athlete to run after another competitor and crane his neck to take a chunk out of their shoulder, particularly during the World Cup, when millions are watching your every move? This carnivorous competitor is either suffering a mental illness or he plays high on some substance that would alter his inhibitions and his ability to act within some boundaries of sportsmanship. The short suspension handed down by FIFA is certainly too light considering that this is his third biting incident; he should be ordered to undergo a full psychiatric evaluation and a one-year suspension to sort out his issues.

 

In other World Cup news, U.S. coach, Jurgen Klinsmann has his team wear compression clothing after their games to promote recovery. Compression tights and tops have been a big part of the Phase IV recovery program for years because they enable our athletes to come back faster after hard efforts and return to full strength. EC3D compression garments are made with medical-grade precision to help funnel waste-laden blood out of the extremities and back to the heart.

 

Forster Physical Therapy and Phase IV are the exclusive distributors of EC3D clothing. Everyone knows how to work hard -- it's those who know how to work hard at recovery who succeed. Call today for an appointment to try on the tights, and you will feel the magic.

 

 

>> Read each week's CEO Message here 

Special Offer: Pre-Order your copy of Robert Forster's new book, Healthy Running Step by Step, due out this Summer by Fairwinds Press, and receive a free signed copy of the best seller, The Complete Water Power Workout Book by Robert Forster, PT and Lynda Huey. Bring in your online pre-order receipt to Forster Physical Therapy or Phase IV and receive a free, signed copy of the water book, a must-read for runners and anyone who wants a great workout that's easy on your joints! 

Phase IV Student Athlete Training

 

The ages spanning puberty through the early 20s provide a unique opportunity to build strength, flexibility, and injury-resilience in boys and girls, qualities which will serve them well through the rest of their lives. Photo courtesy thesamohi.com.

   

Summer is here and what better time to have us teach your student athlete safe and effective principles of strength and flexibility training? The Phase IV Student Athlete Training Class features the same workouts that have helped develop some of the world's best athletes into champions.

 

This is the same exercise progression used by Jackie Joyner Kersee, Flo-Jo, Allyson Felix, Pete Sampras, and many other great champions to improve their game and protect against injury. Time-tested and proven safe and effective over 30 years, these hand-picked exercises will stabilize each joint of the body and prepare your athlete to be the best they can be.

 

Testimonial:
"I have to send you a bill for new jeans for Jason. His waist is smaller but his thighs are now too big to fit into his jeans. On defense he routinely keeps 6'5 225 lb. centers away from the "paint" and unable to score by getting low and keeping them away: shear Phase IV power! He can now crash thru the post players and get to the basket. But your program needs to come with a disclaimer that continued use may cause need for clothes to be altered or replaced due to moderate to severe muscle growth. Thanks -- you and your people are GREAT!!" -- Henry

 

Your child will not only learn the stretching and strength exercises that they will rely on throughout their athletic careers to help them achieve injury-free peak performance, they will also learn the "why"s of good flexibility and correct postural alignment. These are not the ill-advised, spontaneous programs taught by personal trainers in gyms around town. This is a science-based program that builds the body from the ground up, working the right muscles in the right way to improve strength, agility, speed, balance, and posture. With a natural surge in hormones, the adolescent and teenage years offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop an athlete's body with stronger bones and muscles, and protect them against injury.

 

When? Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 4 p.m., all summer long
Where? Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center in Santa Monica
Who? Student athletes from 7-21 years old from all sports
Cost? As low as $10 per class

 

Call today for a complementary class and watch your child fall in love with working out!

 

 

Read More . . .

 

>> Pre-order Healthy Running Step by Step here

Special Offer: Bring in your online pre-order receipt to Forster Physical Therapy and receive a free, signed copy of my first book, The Complete Waterpower Workout Book. 

Anatomy and Function of the Hamstring

In spite of the reputation as being one of the most common and difficult injuries to fix in all of sports medicine, hamstring strains are not all that difficult to rehabilitate. In our work with Olympic sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers, preventing and treating hamstring strains is the most important and valued skill because of the prevalence of these injuries in their events.

The three muscles of the hamstring group (from medial to lateral: the semimembranosus, semitendonosis, and biceps femoris) all originate via a common tendon at the ischial tuberosity, the bony prominence at the base of the pelvic bone that is the contact point when we sit. They insert on the back side of the lower leg bone (tibia) just below the knee joint. Because this muscle group crosses both the hip and knee joints and they are known as two joint muscles. During running the lower hamstring works in a lengthening (eccentric) contraction at the knee joint to slow down the rate that the lower leg swings through the air before it hits the ground. At the hip the upper hamstring works at first eccentrically at first to limit the degree that the hip joint flexes at foot strike and this helps to slow the speed that your center of gravity drops in mid stance. Later in stance phase they switch function and are active in a shortening (concentric) contraction to extend the hip joint and catapult your body weight over the stationary stance leg. The hamstrings, along with the gluts are the prime movers, (i.e.your motor) in steady state running on flat surfaces as they are responsible for keeping your center of gravity moving forward. In up hill running and sprinting they are even more active.

Presentation of Pain

The pain from hamstring injuries can present in different areas in the back of the body extending from the gluts to behind the knee. This makes self diagnosis difficult. Many runners experience pain in the upper end of the hamstrings very close to the origin at the ischial tubersosity and some imagine they have torn the upper attachment off the bone. As strong as this muscle group is, it rare that it's tendon is pulled off of the bone. Instead, with careful examination the muscle strain is found to be an 2-4 inches below the origin. The difficulty in localizing the exact the site of hamstring strains is further illustrated by how often a runner will come in for Physical Therapy evaluation complaining of a hard to locate pain behind the knee. After ruling out knee pathology, the pain is invariably found anywhere in a region from the mid belly of the hamstring to 4-6 inches above the knee even though the pain is experienced lower in the back of the knee.

Forster PT and Phase IV's Maria Sharapova wins French Open

Maria Sharapova, who sought treatment with Forster PT and Phase IV's Robert Forster, PT to overcome career-disrupting injuries, triumphed in this weekend's French Open. Photo courtesy CNN.

 

Paris, France (CNN) -- She's been called "beautiful," "hot" and "sexy" but when it comes to tennis, the most apt description for Maria Sharapova has to be "tough."

 

The Russian rallied from a set down three straight times to reach this year's French Open final and then prevailed in Saturday's thrilling three-hour finale against rising star Simona Halep, 6-4 6-7 6-4.

 

"This is the toughest grand slam final I've ever played," Sharapova, who was contesting a ninth such match, summed up as she collected her trophy.

 

>> Read the original article here

Pre-Order Healthy Running Step by Step

Pre-order Healthy Running Step by Step before its arrival in stores and online in August.

Click here to pre-order Healthy Running Step by Step, the new book by Robert Forster, PT, and Roy M. Wallack, due out this August from Fairwinds Press, and gain automatic entry into a raffle for a free VO2 test!

 

(Click here for more information on VO2 testing.)

 

Don't let an old injury keep you from enjoying races, morning runs, or attaining fitness goals. In the first part of Healthy Running Step by Step, authors Robert Forster, PT and Roy M. Wallack recommend the best training based on your fitness goals, including strength training, cross training, sprints, yoga, and plenty of rest. Part two goes a step further from other books by addressing the most modern methods of treatment -- including current studies on the amount of rest required, new and controversial surgical operations and injections, the newest and most effective gear, and barefoot/minimalist running as a form of healing. If you are recovering from an injury or want to prevent becoming injured in the first place, Healthy Running Step by Step is a must-have guide.

 

Available in stores and at Phase IV and Forster Physical Therapy this Fall!

 

• Format: Paperback
• Publication: August 2014
• Pre-Order Price: $24.99

Phase IV and Forster Physical Therapy, the Exclusive Physical Therapy provider for the LA Marathon, are now the Exclusive Providers of EC3D gear in Los Angeles!

 

Scan with your iPhone or Android to call Phase IV for more information, sizing, or to order your EC3D Compression Gear.

 

Find us and join some of our social networks for scientific health & training tips and advice as well as chances to win  Phase IV services and products:

Forster Physical Therapy

Office: 310-656-8600  www.forsterpt.com

Phase IV Scientific Health and Performance Center

Office: 310-582-8212  www.phase-iv.net

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