As a clinician working with a sports population, I have seen my fair share of what I would call traditional hamstring strains. They are common in sports that involve sudden acceleration and/or deceleration.

These types of problems may appear to be simple to sort out as you listen to the patient history. Pattern recognition is important in the clinical reasoning process – but with that said, attention must be paid to those aspects of the clinical picture that don’t fit the pattern.

It is easy for clinicians to lose sight of one simple fact: the lumbar spine can refer pain throughout the lower extremity and can produce signs and symptoms that can mimic virtually any lower extremity disorder. We can thank our neurological “wiring” for this phenomenon. Understanding the behavior of the system under mechanical loading becomes critical for an accurate mechanical diagnosis, and subsequently an appropriate treatment intervention.

Over the past few months, I have seen quite a number of “hamstring strains” that were really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They were lumbar spine issues that were mimicking hamstring signs and symptoms.

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Sunday 7/25/2010 was a sad day for Austin and for the cycling world. It marked what many expect to be the official end to Lance Armstrong’s distinguished cycling legacy, his farewell day in his final Tour de France.

It was an unlucky 13th Tour de France for Armstrong. He had a tire puncture at a highly inopportune moment on the cobblestones. He also had more crashes in this one Tour than he’d suffered in his previous 12 Tours combined. It was not an easy go of things for Armstrong in his final dance through the French countryside. But as they say, c’est la vie, non?

We’ve already heard talk of whether or not Alberto Contador could possibly eclipse Armstrong’s record seven Tour de France victories. He’s currently on top of the world cycling, and he looks to have a strong future ahead.

But there are some huge contrasts which serve to bring one recurrent theme to the forefront. Alberto Contador is no Lance Armstrong – and for oh so many reasons. Contador could indeed be the next great Tour de France champion. But right now, he’s got a lot to learn and much of it, as Lance would say, is not about the bike. It’s about the man.

What made Armstrong so special? And how could Contador take a few notes for the future?

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This is the seventh in a series of RunSmart videos. The series is on-going, with a new video released on a biweekly basis. These videos complement the material presented in the book “RunSmart: A Comprehensive Approach To Injury-Free Running”. The full series of videos can be found here. A transcription of the video will also be available with each post.

For those of you that are interested in a more interactive learning environment, consider attending a RunSmart Level One, Level Two, or Level Three program. Level One focuses on Principles, Level Two on Performance and Training Program Development, and Level Three on Physiotherapy and Running Injury Recovery. CCU credit for physical therapists is available for Level One (3.5 CCU), and is pending for the complete program (13.1 CCU). Further CCU details will follow as they are available. The next Level One program will be offered in Austin on February 25, 2012.

In this video, I will discuss the relationship between the motion of the arms, legs, and how they interact to increase stride frequency. Although most runners tend to attempt to change their stride frequency via thinking about their leg motions, it is far easier to affect stride frequency with the arms.

I hope you enjoy the video series. If you would like me to address any specific aspect of the RunSmart approach, drop me an email or add a comment to this article.

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Soccer. The word can conjure up visions of almost religious quality. Every four years, the craziness ensues and the religion is played out on center stage. There has even been a goal attributed to the Hand of God (or Diego Maradona’s hand, you pick) – but more on that later.

On one hand, you have the beauty of a world-class athlete playing a sport that is elegant in it’s simplicity. There are few rules, and all you need are a pair of cleats and a ball. I had the opportunity to watch a couple of second round games in Dallas during the 1994 World Cup. Having played soccer in high school, I know what is involved. However, the game of soccer – played correctly and by skilled, world-class players – is absolutely elegant and beautiful. You witness the ability to perform magic with the ball. It truly is phenomenal.

And there are the players who oftentimes go by just one name. Kaka, for example. I think we need that in the US. I have no doubt it would improve the coolness factor, to go along with the inherent beauty of the game. It happens in big-time pro sports in the US already. Tell me, does Kobe have a last name? How about Tiger? Yeah I didn’t think so. Maybe that is what US Soccer is missing.

But on the other hand, you have the officiating. And yes, in retrospect, the 2010 World Cup had some absolutely lousy officiating. Along with the temper tantrums and political divisiveness that oftentimes follow soccer by the heels.

The officiating hit home – literally, and figuratively.

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