Browsing by Author "Willy, Richard W."

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    Optimal Load for Managing Low-Risk Tibial and Metatarsal Bone Stress Injuries in Runners: The Science Behind the Clinical Reasoning
    (JOSPT, 2021-07) Warden, Stuart J.; Edwards, W. Brent; Willy, Richard W.; Physical Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    BACKGROUND: Low-risk bone stress injuries (BSIs) of the tibia and metatarsal diaphyses account for more than half of BSIs in runners. They interrupt training and are managed using noninvasive approaches that are designed to achieve a speedy but safe return to running. CLINICAL QUESTION: What is the optimal load to manage low-risk tibial and metatarsal BSIs and safely return to running? KEY RESULTS: Optimal load can be guided by knowledge of the BSI healing process and is symptom driven. At all stages, the optimal load does not produce symptoms during, after, or the day following loading. CLINICAL APPLICATION: A period of initial load reduction, via partial or non-weight bearing, is typically needed to alleviate presenting symptoms. Analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used in the short term (sooner than 7 days), but only for resting pain and night pain. Healing supplements (eg, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and/or recombinant parathyroid hormone therapy) may be attempted to influence tissue healing. Athletes can maintain cardiopulmonary fitness via cross-training, while simultaneously addressing musculoskeletal fitness. A return-to-run program can be initiated once an athlete is pain free during daily activities for 5 consecutive days. Progress is directed by symptom provocation and initially focuses on increasing running volume before speed. Optimal loading should be continued following return to running and may include jump training and/or gait retraining to reduce subsequent BSI risk. The optimal loading approach to managing low-risk tibial and metatarsal BSIs is clinically successful, but requires further scientific validation.
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    Preventing Bone Stress Injuries in Runners with Optimal Workload
    (Springer, 2021) Warden, Stuart J.; Edwards, W. Brent; Willy, Richard W.; Physical Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Bone stress injuries (BSIs) occur at inopportune times to invariably interrupt training. All BSIs in runners occur due to an "error" in workload wherein the interaction between the number and magnitude of bone tissue loading cycles exceeds the ability of the tissue to resist the repetitive loads. There is not a single optimal bone workload, rather a range which is influenced by the prevailing scenario. In prepubertal athletes, optimal bone workload consists of low-repetitions of fast, high-magnitude, multidirectional loads introduced a few times per day to induce bone adaptation. Premature sports specialization should be avoided so as to develop a robust skeleton that is structurally optimized to withstand multidirectional loading. In the mature skeleton, optimal workload enables gains in running performance but minimizes bone damage accumulation by sensibly progressing training, particularly training intensity. When indicated (e.g., following repeated BSIs), attempts to reduce bone loading magnitude should be considered, such as increasing running cadence. Determining the optimal bone workload for an individual athlete to prevent and manage BSIs requires consistent monitoring. In the future, it may be possible to clinically determine bone loads at the tissue level to facilitate workload progressions and prescriptions.