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Flexibility HEALTH AND WELLNESS An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure I By John Amtmann t is vital for arborists to anticipate the results of their actions to prevent collateral damage, as well as injury to themselves and others. The best arborists have an innate sense of what should be done on the ground and in the trees to prevent catastrophe. How many times have you said to your- self after an accident, "Man, I could have prevented this," or "It would have been so simple to…"? We all have — indicating that we understand that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention of health and medical problems requires the ability to look further into the future than the average arborist is used to — but it is worth it. Flexibility is a component of fitness that can help to prevent injuries such as sprains and strains, and can help to alleviate muscle soreness common in tree workers' lives. Flexibility can be defined as the range of motion of a joint or group of joints (Alter), and various factors determine joint range of motion. The first factor affect- ing range of motion is the architecture of the joint. The specific design of the bones that meet in the joint have an enormous impact on the direction and range of motion at that joint. For example, the hinge joint of the elbow allows for relatively modest movement when compared with the ball and socket joint of the shoulder because of their respective architecture. Age and gender also play a role: younger people tend to be more flexible than older people, and females tend to be more flexible than males — especially in the hips. Also, active people tend to be more flexible than inactive people.Connective tissue, such as tendons, ligaments, fascial sheaths, joint capsules, and skin also determine joint range of motion. What do they do? Tendons: Connect muscle to bone Ligaments: Connect bone to bone Fascia: Aids in maintaining integrity the individual components (muscle fibers) of the muscle Capsule: Surrounds the joint and secretes synovial fluid, which helps to lubricate the joint 20 Arbor Age / November/December 2012 Tree workers should be thought of as industrial athletes, and most strength and conditioning specialists stress the importance of the flexibility training for their athletes, believing flexibility exercises may reduce the likelihood of injury to muscle tendon units (Vorkapic). Some research supports this. In one study, researchers assessed the lower body flexibility in 146 male soccer players prior to their season (Witvrouw, Danneels, Asselman, D'Have, Dirk). All of the examined players were monitored throughout the season to determine the presence and severity of injury. Players who suffered a hamstring (N = 31) or quadriceps (N = 13) muscle injury during the season were found to have significantly lower flexibility in these muscles prior to their injury compared with the uninjured group. No significant differences in muscle flexibility were found, however, between players who sustained an adductor muscle injury (N = 13) or a calf muscle injury (N = 10) and the uninjured group. Researchers concluded that these results indicate that soccer players with an increased tightness of the hamstring or quadriceps muscles have a higher risk for a subsequent musculoskeletal injury to those areas, but not necessarily to the groin or calf areas. So there are conflicting reports on the relationship between flexibility and injury. Most experts agree, however, that there appears to be an ideal rangeof flexibility that will help prevent injury, and that flexibility may be one factor of many involved in the development of an injury. Injuries are, often, the result of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic causes include age, weight, and overall physical fitness. Extrinsic factors would include dimen- sions (size and weight) of object being lifted, working terrain, and environmental factors such as weather (Hackney). As industrial athletes, arborists need flexibility train- ing on a regular basis. Along with the possibility of reducing the occurrence of injury, properly performed stretching exercises may help to relieve low back pain, muscular cramps and muscular soreness, as well as reduce stress. Continued on page 22 www.arborage.com v