EMG Recordings from Evaluations /Training

EMG Evaluation / Training  is a non-invasive painless  state of the art tool used to determine if your muscles are working:

                                                                             1.   At the Right Time

                                                                             2.   At the Right Intensity

                                                                             3.   For the the Right Duration

                                                                             4.   Recovering  Properly                                                                         

This example shows left hip extension folllowed by right hip extension. The gluteus maximus is the prime mover here and should inititate this motion. On the left normal  muscle recruitment would have shown a strong green line initiating this movement. All the muscles are essentially working as hard as each other..not efficient movement and consistent with  the back pain this client had.

The right hip extension demonstrates a more normal recruitment pattern with the orange line being the right gluteus maximus

In this example the lumbar paraspinals are being compared to the hamstrings. The recording shows that the client utilized their right lumbar paraspinals and right hamstrings as the prime mover with significantly underactive recruitment of the entire left side. Again these dysfunctional recruitment patterns are consistent with the clients low back pain.

In this example, the upper trapezius are being compared to the lower trapezius. In left shoulder flexion the green line should be predominent and in right shoulder flexion there should be predominently  an orange line. The left shoulder is indicative of  "shrugging" shoulder motion  and dysponetic muscle activity.

The right shoulder demonstrates a different form of dysponetic activity whereby  there is excessive co-contraction of adjacent muscles not necessary for this movement.

Training always proceeds in a systematic manner from static to dynamic... from gravity eliminated motion to against gravity... from no resistance  to increasing amounts of resistance...consistent with  the clients activity/sport.

With that in mind here is an example of  a client moving from seated shoulder flexion to standing.

The left shoulder demonstrates dysponetic muscle activity whereby the client co-contracts the right upper trapezius (blue line) as the prime mover to lift the left shoulder followed by the left upper trapezius (burgundy) followed by the right lower trapezius (orange) followed by the left lower trapezius (green). In comparing these muscles, the green should be predominent.

The right shoulder demonstrates a little co-contraction of the right upper trapzius but then moves into a normal pattern.

This next example demonstrates the progression of training to the point where  resistance is added. Here, this client was sitting . The training progressed to standing and then  to dynamic movement patterns. Here the expected order of recruitment occurred. No longer was the client "shrugging" or "hiking" the upper trapezius to  gain the desired movement. The lower trapezius did their job on the right (orange) and on the left (blue)

The left still shows some co-contraction of the other muscles that  should be more quiesent. This  becomes the next goal for this clients training...to increase "more blue avctivity" and decrease the "burgundy and orange"

So you can start to see  our training philospy in action..."muscles turning on when they should and turning off when they should"

This client was  a gymnast seen for "wrist pain" whereby her inability to recruit the lower trapeus effectively resulted in excess weight bearing through the wrist. Traditional treatment alone would never have addressed  the source of her pain; but would have focused on reducing her pain , increasing her range of motion and strength and returning her to her sport. In which case the pain would return after these excessive forces  to the wrist resumed.

Here we are looking for the recruiment of the right lower trapezius. At a quick glance the client engages  both the the right lower trapezius and the left equally...which is dysponetic in itself. But a closer look at the data shows that the upper trapezius on average was "working" twice as hard  as the lower trapezius. This dysfunctional pattern is also consistent with this client's wrist pain .... but is also seen in many headache patients.

But what is that and what does it does that mean?

    Optimal

          Performance

               Training, Inc.

                  Train Smarter .... Learn Faster ....

                                      ...Perform Better....  Reduce Injuries

 

          

                

Dynamap training screen

Training screens