In part 1 of the 9 keys to dealing with groin strains in hockey players, we talked about the assessment. A quick recap, 4 keys to a good assessment for groin strains arePositional Assessment Movement Assessment Hip Assessment Kinetic Chain assessment If you haven’t checked out part 1 with keys 1-4 yet, you can find […]
Groin strains are a very common occurrence on hockey players. We now have lots of evidence that shows that a high percentage of hockey players suffer from groin pain over the course of a hockey season (here, here, here). This may come as no surprise to some, but the mechanics of skating put a lot […]
Hockey players are known for having chronic hip flexor issues. A lot of players will either complain of tight hip flexors or will have issues with constantly “tweaking” their hip flexors when skating volume increases. These are also usually the players who often complain of tight hips but yet are constantly stretching their hips. Before […]
Hip and groin injuries are common in change of direction sports. Hockey in particular, has a high percentage of hip and groin issues. Worner et al (2019) have shown that >50% of hockey players suffer from hip and groin issues over the course of a season and those who reported worse long term hip and groin function tended to […]
The hip can be a complex and daunting joint to assess. There are lots of structures within and surrounding the hip that could be causing issues. On top of this, hip dysfunction has been shown to be a factor in low back dysfunction as well as knee pain. With the importance the hip plays in different pathologies, it’s also important to know and be […]
I often see people who lack hip internal rotation, which can play a factor in lots of issues. But I have always been apprehensive in prescribing hip internal rotation stretches. I think part of the reason is that I’ve struggled with hip IR myself, being a hockey player, as most do. I’ve tried stretching but […]
Previously in this series, we discussed the importance of the hip labrum (here) and the capsuloligamentous complex (here) in hip stability. The 3rdand final part of this series will discuss the outer layer of stability of the hip, and the only contractile layer, the hip muscles, more specifically the hip cuff. Hip Cuff Anatomy There […]
I recently finished reading Kevin Neelds book Ultimate Hockey Training. This book is a great resource for any coach, strength coach or parent/player looking to improve their off-ice training for hockey. It is full of great information on improving strength, power, speed and conditioning for hockey players. But I’m going to focus on one area, […]
With the Stanley Cup finals now complete and the champions crowned (GO BLUES!), reports of injuries players played with throughout the playoffs are making their way to the surface. I was astonished to see the injuries suffered by Bruins players. In case you haven’t seen it, check out the picture below (Twitter @connorryan). The fact […]
A recent study by Kerbel et al (2018) looked at the epidemiology of hip and groin injuries in US college athletes. 1984 hip/groin injuries were reported across 25 NCAA sports over 5 seasons. The top 4 reported injuries were soft tissue injuries, with just over 40% being adductor/groin tear and hip flexor tear. The most […]
