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Knees, back, shoulders…Not just a fireground problem

Knees, back, shoulders…Not just a fireground problem

July 29, 2017 Articles

Injuries occur when a tissue’s (e.g. muscle, bone, ligament) strength can’t handle the load being applied (i.e. demands exceed capacity). This relationship is influenced in large part by the movement patterns being used by the performer. This post provides a brief summary of the 2015 study conducted by Frost DM, Beach TAC, Crosby I, and McGill SM. Firefighter injuries are not just a fireground problem. Work 52(4): 835-842, 2015. The injuries sustained by firefighters from a large Canadian metropolitan department over a five-year span were categorized by job duty, injury type and movement pattern. Describing injuries in this way may offer insight towards the development of injury prevention initiatives for any physically demanding occupation.

STUDY BACKGROUND

Firefighters are commonly exposed to extreme environments that challenge their ability to perform safely. Over the past several years, tremendous efforts have made to reduce the incidence of fires and fireground injuries; however, there has also been a rise in the number of injuries sustained while attending to non-fire emergencies and engaging in exercise and physical training. To better understand this injury problem so that an appropriate prevention strategy can be developed we need more information about the injuries that are being sustained. At present, it would be challenging to create an intervention to prevent “leg” injuries that occur while “training”, or “trunk” injuries caused by “overexertion”. Linking injury reporting to firefighters’ movement patterns may provide insight into the postures and motions that are contributing to the injury problem, regardless of the occupational activity being performed.

STUDY DESIGN

This study examined the injuries sustained by the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) between 2007 and 2011. In 2011, the CFD consisted of 1363 uniformed personnel operating out of 37 stations. Members responded 100,695 times to 50,520 incidents, the most common being medical emergencies (46%), false alarms (17%), hazardous conditions (16%), investigations (9%), and public service assistance (7%). Only 4% of all dispatches involved fire suppression activities. All included injuries resulted in medical treatment, restricted work duties or lost time. Injuries were described by type (i.e. sprain/strain, cut, etc.), body part affected, job duty, and the general motion pattern employed at the time of injury, which included: 1) bending, lifting and squatting; 2) jumping and landing; 3) lunging and stepping; 4) running; 5) pushing and pulling; and 6) sitting.

KEY FINDINGS

Over the 5-year span, 1311 injuries were reported, of which 64% were sprains and strains. The most common were those affecting the back (32%), knees (17%), ankles (15%) and shoulders (13%). Categorized by job duty, 33-45% of all back, knee, ankle and shoulder injuries occurred at the fire station, while 27% were attributed to exercise and training. Only 15% of all sprains and strains were sustained while attending to fires.

Irrespective of job duty, 70% of all back injuries were related to lifting, bending and squatting, 81% of all knee injuries were associated with lunging and stepping, and 99% of all shoulder injuries were attributed to pushing and pulling.

IMPLICATIONS

1. Firefighter injuries are not just a fireground problem

Only 14% of all injuries were sustained during fireground operations. While differences in the on-duty responsibilities, community demographics, and climate of the participating department may have influenced the findings, they are consistent with those reported in the past few years from fire departments across the United States. Over the 5 years examined, the majority of injuries were sustained while attending to fire station-related responsibilities and participating in exercise or physical training. These findings may reflect the fact that there are fewer fires, and a greater emphasis is being placed on firefighter wellness and fitness (i.e. more time being active); however, it does not diminish the scope of the injury problem. Instead, it highlights the reason why specific information is needed to develop targeted injury prevention strategies for any workplace.

2. Categorizing injuries by movement pattern may improve our prevention efforts

Irrespective of job duty, the general movement pattern used at the time of injury was strongly associated with the type of injury sustained – 70% of all back injuries were lifting-related, 81% of all knee injuries were lunging-related, and 99% of all shoulder injuries were pushing- and pulling-related. This finding also highlights the fact that the associated job duty could not distinguish the types of injuries sustained, perhaps because firefighters lift the same way whether attending to a medical emergency, exercising in the gym or completing a station-related activity. However, it also for this reason that there may be merit in developing prevention strategies that focus on the (re-)training of general movements that are common to a variety of job tasks. In other words, an emphasis could be placed on changing firefighters’ movement habits in an exercise or training environment so that new patterns emerge while performing other relevant job- and life-related activities. All firefighter injuries will never be avoided, but documenting the associated movement patterns will help to reduce the risk of sustaining similar injuries in the future.

 

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Although there are countless benefits to simply be Although there are countless benefits to simply being physically active, there are also many other benefits that are unique to the demands imposed and/or the performer’s execution.

Whether attempting to prompt a specific cardiorespiratory response, impose a unique demand on the musculoskeletal system, or facilitate motor learning, there will be times when HOW we exercise matters.

Reduce your risk of future low back injury by learning to control specific spine motions within a range of contexts. In other words, challenge yourself in many ways!

Circuit 1
Right leg back lunge w/ left arm load x 40s
Right arm plank to left arm hang x 40s
Left leg back lunge w/ right arm load x 40s
Left arm plank to right arm hang x 40s
3 Rounds

Circuit 2
Right leg back lunge w/ left arm load x 5s hold at bottom for 40s
Left arm hang with rotation x 40s
Left leg back lunge w/ right arm load x 5s hold at bottom for 40s
Right arm hang with rotation x 40s
2 Rounds

#makeexercisematter #injuryprevention #exerciseprinciples #movementhygiene #physicalliteracy #movementmatters #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #performanceredefined #5minutesoffun #fittothrive
Incredible week in NYC with the IAFF at their Redm Incredible week in NYC with the IAFF at their Redmond Health and Safety Symposium / Barbera EMS Conference. 

From the oustanding speakers to the Fire Within 5k organized in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the IAFF continues to lead through 'Excellence in Action'. 

It was an honour to be part of such a wonderful event. A big thank you to the IAFF for the opportunity to share new ideas on fire fighter wellness, program implementation, fitness testing, self care and more!

#RedmondBarbera23 #iaff #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #firefighter #firefighterwellness #performanceredefined #fittothrive
Be active with whatever you have wherever you happ Be active with whatever you have wherever you happen to be.

There are endless opportunities to challenge yourself in every environment as long as you are willing to find them.

Tree climb to push-up x 3
Air squat x 20
5 rounds

#fitnessanywhere #exerciseeverywhere #beactive #moreactivemoreoften #movementhygiene #physicalliteracy #performanceredefined #exercisewithatree #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #5minutesoffun #fittothrive
A prospective study recently published in JAMA Onc A prospective study recently published in JAMA Oncology found that 1-2 minute bouts of vigorous physical activity such housework, carrying groceries, and playing with kids lowered participants' cancer risk by up to 32%.

The researchers from the University of Sydney followed the more than 22000 non-exercisers for 7 years and tracked their activity habits with wrist worn accelerometers.

Just 4.5 minutes of daily vigorous activity accumulated primarily in bouts lasting less than 1 minute was associated with an 18% reduction in total incident cancer risk and a 32% reduction in 13 cancers that have been linked to physical activity.

While exercise has been linked with additional benefits and further reductions in risk, these findings are extremely promising for cancer prevention efforts amongst individuals who are unable or unmotivated to exercise.

Every little bit counts!

#physicalactivityandcancer #beatcancer #fightcancer #beactive #moreactivemoreoften #smallstepsbigchange #everylittlebitcounts #movementmatters #5minutesoffun #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #fittothrive
Try new things to build new habits. Learning to Try new things to build new habits. 

Learning to move in different ways and in different environments requires that we challenge ourselves to move in different ways and in different environments. 

Embed more opportunities to 'play' into your weekly routine. 

One arm snatch x 5 
Bearcrawl w/ dumbbell x 10 ( back + forward)
One squat to press x 5
Repeat on opposite side
3 rounds

#performanceredefined #learntomove #play #movementhygiene #physicalliteracy #exercisehabits #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #fittothrive
Physical activity. Diet. Sleep. Mindfulness. Relat Physical activity. Diet. Sleep. Mindfulness. Relationships. The behaviors we adopt to support each of these areas will collectively influence our health and fitness outcomes. 

Prioritizing the things we want to accomplish without considering the path to get there (and to keep us there) will create limited opportunity for success. 

Build the habits that will allow you to chase the outcomes that are most important.

#habits #health #physicalactivity #movebetter #eatbetter #sleepbetter #breathebetter #connectbetter #bemoreactive #performanceredefined #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #fittothrive
There is so much good that can be done in 5 minute There is so much good that can be done in 5 minutes. 

Don't let 'lack of time' be the reason why you weren't active today. 

Consistency is critical to building habits. 

High plank to pike (downward dog) x 5s hold; emphasize active shoulder and hip flexion

High plank to hip extension (upward dog) x 5s hold; emphasize active hip extension

High plank with overhead reach x 1 each arm; emphasize active shoulder extension

High plank with leg raise x 1 each leg; emphasize active hip extension

10 reps

#beactive #activeeverywhere #activeeveryday #noexcuses #overcomebarriers #performanceredefined #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #5minutesoffun #fittothrive
All exercise can be good.  But all exercise is no All exercise can be good.  But all exercise is not good for all reasons. 

For example... 

Aerobic exercise is recommended post concussion to facilitate the recovery process.  And while there are many ways to prompt the physiological response(s) that contribute to supporting brain health, each does not impose the same demands on the body (running, cycling and jumping rope can each impose an aerobic demand but are associated with different head accelerations) and thus each would be not provide the same benefit. 

Let your WHY inform your WHAT to make your exercise truly matter!

#makeexercisematter #exerciseworks #exerciseeveryday #findyourwhy #criticalthinking #exerciseforlife #worklifeplay #fordutyforlife #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #performanceredefined #fittothrive
Spending more time in specific positions will give Spending more time in specific positions will give you access to and control of these positions when it matters most.

If end range hip flexion or a neutral spine curvature are important, spend time trying to actively control these positions.

This can clbe done by using exercises that involve no motion (e.g. isometric squat) and others that aim to restrict specific motions while performing something more dynamic (e.g. push-up with no low back motion).

Controlling positions is a precursor to controlling motions.

One arm row x 8/arm (control hip position)
Air squat x 30s (control hip and ankle position)
One leg push-up x 8/leg (control hip position)
Air squat x 30s (control hip and ankle position)
5 rounds

#makeexercisematter #movementmatters #strengthmatters #mobilitymatters #mobility #activemobility #fordutyforlife #performanceredefined #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness 
#fittothrive

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Although there are countless benefits to simply be Although there are countless benefits to simply being physically active, there are also many other benefits that are unique to the demands imposed and/or the performer’s execution.

Whether attempting to prompt a specific cardiorespiratory response, impose a unique demand on the musculoskeletal system, or facilitate motor learning, there will be times when HOW we exercise matters.

Reduce your risk of future low back injury by learning to control specific spine motions within a range of contexts. In other words, challenge yourself in many ways!

Circuit 1
Right leg back lunge w/ left arm load x 40s
Right arm plank to left arm hang x 40s
Left leg back lunge w/ right arm load x 40s
Left arm plank to right arm hang x 40s
3 Rounds

Circuit 2
Right leg back lunge w/ left arm load x 5s hold at bottom for 40s
Left arm hang with rotation x 40s
Left leg back lunge w/ right arm load x 5s hold at bottom for 40s
Right arm hang with rotation x 40s
2 Rounds

#makeexercisematter #injuryprevention #exerciseprinciples #movementhygiene #physicalliteracy #movementmatters #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #performanceredefined #5minutesoffun #fittothrive
Incredible week in NYC with the IAFF at their Redm Incredible week in NYC with the IAFF at their Redmond Health and Safety Symposium / Barbera EMS Conference. 

From the oustanding speakers to the Fire Within 5k organized in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the IAFF continues to lead through 'Excellence in Action'. 

It was an honour to be part of such a wonderful event. A big thank you to the IAFF for the opportunity to share new ideas on fire fighter wellness, program implementation, fitness testing, self care and more!

#RedmondBarbera23 #iaff #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #firefighter #firefighterwellness #performanceredefined #fittothrive
Be active with whatever you have wherever you happ Be active with whatever you have wherever you happen to be.

There are endless opportunities to challenge yourself in every environment as long as you are willing to find them.

Tree climb to push-up x 3
Air squat x 20
5 rounds

#fitnessanywhere #exerciseeverywhere #beactive #moreactivemoreoften #movementhygiene #physicalliteracy #performanceredefined #exercisewithatree #iaffwfi #iaffpeerfitness #5minutesoffun #fittothrive

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