Dirtbikes cause fractures: Pelvis and Scapula

This is the second call I’ve gotten about fractures and dirtbikes.  The first was someone I saw who raced up a sand dune only to find the back was not there.. and he fell 20 feet onto his bike, fracturing his pelvis- which is a hard thing to do!

Today I saw a scapular fracture, it was a guy who went over his handlebars and now can’t raise his arm above his shoulder.  Apparently this is expected after fracturing your scapula.  Treatment for a fracture that’s still relatively lined up (non displaced) is to just keep it in a sling for a few weeks, but keep flexing the elbow so as not to lose muscle tone or develop any other disuse symptoms.  After 3 weeks, having someone move the shoulder (passive range of motion) should help regain strength in the shoulder.

Surgical indications are if the fracture is displaced, involves the articulation with the humerus, and some coracoid process fractures.  As I got sent home sick today and am miserably typing from my couch and don’t have the energy to look in my Handbook of Fractures, I can add more later.  Right now I’m going to blow my nose and take a nap instead.

…. The only thing I thought to add is that I’d like to try dirtbiking some day.  Seriously, no sarcasm!  I accidentally got my ninja on some sand, it freaked me out for a sec when it fishtailed and I worried about how junky my chain would get but if I had a dirtbike I bet you could take some badass curves and the lack of roadrash would be a plus!

Gimpy leg

As I ran my 6 miler on Sunday, I noted again that when I run on dry sand I tend to start twisting left. Basically, it seems as though my right leg is stronger and pushes off a bit more strongly when I stumble. Which I do know has been a problem since I started running. For example, a short list of my injuries:

Left leg: Shin splints, patellar tendonitis, high grade calf strain x 3, iliotibial band syndrome

Right leg: shin splints.

The last time I noticed a huge difference in my quad strength was last year after I hiked the Inka Trail.  I still had my ITBS and spent the whole time with a pair of makeshift walking stick-crutches.  When I came back and started working with a personal trainer to recover from the injury, the difference in my stamina-especially with lunges-was huge!

It seems I still prefer my right leg, so to remedy this I tried lengthening my stride as my right leg reached forward, making my left leg push a bit extra.  This took too much mental focus and I quickly regressed to my old familiar stride when looking out over the sand to find the path of least resistance.  What ultimately worked really well to even out my strides and make my left leg feel the burn was to raise my left arm swing equal to the upswing of my right arm.  Easy as that!  My hips were squared forward, my shoulders aligned with my hips, and there was no more “oops!- twist left”  when stepping into the many dips in the sand.  So simple…

A runner lifting weights!

I detest lifting weights. My idea of a good workout is to build up a sweat while getting my heart rate up and enjoying a lot of good scenery… or at least watching some CNN at the gym if it’s a treadmill run. The last time I lifted weights was 3 years ago when my only work colleague was a body builder type who convinced me to try it. Sure, I was sore. But I hated going there… repetitions, sets, the unspoken gym Etiquette, and of course, being the only girl in a room full of mirror-watching boys.

However, I realize that lifting is a necessary evil to truly be fit and prevent injury. Though I ran a marathon a few months ago and recently went hiking in Peru, I wouldn’t say I’m in the best shape of my life! I can’t even do a push up! So I hired a personal trainer to decrypt all those machines for me and help me get over my IT band syndrome.

The first meeting was great! We sat down and I went through my goals, which is primarily to get into a routine that will get me back into military shape. After officer training school 2 years ago I can say that was the best shape of my life- and I want to be able to repeat my personal best physical fitness test numbers (sit ups, push ups, 1.5 mile run).

Then he took me through numerous machines and wrote down how much weight to use, how many repetitions, how many sets. When my knee would begin to hurt, he’d find another machine that wouldn’t aggravate my IT band. After a few months of living with this injury, there is a notable difference in my quad strength!!

And now today after doing the same routine of legs, arms, abs, stretching, I found it much easier to do the sets. It hasn’t even been a week with this being my third time lifting and I’m already noticing that it’s easier to regain my balance while getting out of the car, I have more force when opening a door, or when bending over to the side of a chair my abs can handle it 🙂

Plus this is a better gym than the one I was at 3 years ago (Loyola’s gym is Amazing!!) and I have a lot of friends who work out there too. Which is different for a runner who’s used to working out solo… and it’s kind of nice. Not so boring. Maybe I can do this! Hopefully I can show off when we have our second meeting tomorrow.

“For the record: Strength training before, not after, cardio is better for your heart, reports a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Japanese researchers found that participants who lifted before running had more flexible arteries and improved blood flow after eight weeks, compared with a run-then-lift group (who experienced no such improvement). Why? Lifting can increase blood pressure, which stiffens arteries. Running afterward releases chemicals that cause the arteries to dilate and lower blood pressure, says Robert C. Scott III, M.D., Ph.D., senior staff cardiologist with Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas.” – Women’s Health Magazine March 2008, page 28