The NFL stipulates that one day a week is designated as an "off day", where fit players are not allowed to enter the facility, however injured players must report. Despite the last game being on Thursday, the rest day is a Tuesday this week.
Surprisingly, the culture of American Football dictates that recovery strategies & load monitoring are given short shrift by many coaching staff in the sport & I was amazed to hear that after a late night game, with players & staff arriving back home at 4am, all were in the training facility at 10am the next morning. Not only that but players lift in addition to other field based activities. The importance of tissue physiological regeneration & the subsequent effects that has on injury rates, fatigue & therefore performance, doesn't seem to be acknowledged, despite the best intentions of the training staff.
I then worked with athletic trainer, Steve (Kennelly) & we shared some techniques for thoracic & costovertebral mobilisations, whilst discussing the influence of the thoracic spine & rib cage on pelvic dysfunction. It's an area that I often work on in conjunction with TMJ mobility to address pelvic issues & is particularly effective in the instances where the individual is more resistant to the usual pelvic mobilisation techniques. I've spent time with Steve on a previous visit & we always have some good chats, sharing plenty of useful information.
This week the game is back to a Sunday evening & so there has been time enough for injury assessment, treatment & management in preparation for the big local grudge match against the Philadelphia Eagles. The game is in Philadelphia, so the team will travel down the road on the Saturday afternoon.
Thanks once again, Byron for the invite...as ever, it was great to work with you & the rest of the training staff. Best of luck against the Eagles!
Today, I leave the hospitality & fantastic home cooking of my aunt & uncle, Fred & Gretel in Princeton & head west to Vancouver, via Seattle. I will stay there until Sunday to attend the International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium & a workshop hosted by Jill Cook & Bill Vincenzino. I am really looking forward to both the conference but also going back to a place I really enjoyed living around 10 years ago now & catching up with old friends.
Off to the airport I go!!!