Back problems and Division 1 rowing.....shoxbox?
Back problems and Division 1 rowing.....shoxbox?
I have a 21 yo daughter beginning her 4th year of D-1 rowing. She is a very fit 5'10 155-160 pounds. At the beginning of the winter workout last season she developed severe back pain which turned out to be a double stress fracture in the lower back which ultimately lead to additional back issues as she continued to train misdiagnosed. She missed the entire spring season with PT and other rehab therapy.
Now, what caused the fractures? Genetics, poor training, technique on or off the water, too much weight training, bad luck? I don't know. I do know the kid was in fantastic shape but was also subjected to numerous 60+ minute steady state ERG pieces right at the beginning of winter workouts.
Although she won't admit it, I know she is very tentative about getting back on the ERG.
Does anyone think this shoxbox (http://shoxbox.biz) is worth a try? Her coaching staff is of little help
Quite honestly I'm worried about further injury to her back.
~Dad
Now, what caused the fractures? Genetics, poor training, technique on or off the water, too much weight training, bad luck? I don't know. I do know the kid was in fantastic shape but was also subjected to numerous 60+ minute steady state ERG pieces right at the beginning of winter workouts.
Although she won't admit it, I know she is very tentative about getting back on the ERG.
Does anyone think this shoxbox (http://shoxbox.biz) is worth a try? Her coaching staff is of little help
Quite honestly I'm worried about further injury to her back.
~Dad
I'm sure you're anxious to do everything possible. The shoe box looks quite intriguing, and should certainly do no harm. (Others may disagree.)
I'd be more inclined to blame weight training than erging for stress fractures. I find the exercise to be pretty low-impact, even when I row hard (or at least at a pace that's hard for me).
I'd be more inclined to blame weight training than erging for stress fractures. I find the exercise to be pretty low-impact, even when I row hard (or at least at a pace that's hard for me).
Last edited by djh on August 14th, 2009, 10:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Doug
64 yrs/176 cm/74⅞ kg/8400 km
Lifetime:
64 yrs/176 cm/74⅞ kg/8400 km
Lifetime:
I don't have any idea if the Shoebox is a good idea for your daughter or not, but can say that slides are wonderful--and are easier on the back than an erg w/out them. I noted that the Shoebox web site did say that:
You may also want to consult w/ her coaches to make sure they will allow her to use the Shoebox. If they are making comparisons using the erg scores they might not want her erg equipment to be different from the other rowers. No sense buying either the Shoebox or Slides if they won't let her use them. On the other hand, if she could use them most of them time, but just not for comparative timed pieces...
Just a couple of other things to consider.
Best wishes to your daughter!
Alissa
(on the "Why It Works" page). You might want to check w/ them and make sure that if you buy, that that mounting kit would be available on a retrofit basis if you decide to go ahead w/ the Shoebox and then want to buy slides later.*** A Concept2 horizontal slide mounting kit will be available soon ***
You may also want to consult w/ her coaches to make sure they will allow her to use the Shoebox. If they are making comparisons using the erg scores they might not want her erg equipment to be different from the other rowers. No sense buying either the Shoebox or Slides if they won't let her use them. On the other hand, if she could use them most of them time, but just not for comparative timed pieces...
Just a couple of other things to consider.
Best wishes to your daughter!
Alissa
Dad,
What did her treating physicians say? recommend?
Does she have any signs of degenerative osteoarthritis?
Before I'd recommend anything I would suggest a visit to a qualified "physiatrist". They are the physicians, familiar with sports injuries amongst others, that help keep athletes OUT of surgery while helping them to mend.
Just a thought.
Mike
What did her treating physicians say? recommend?
Does she have any signs of degenerative osteoarthritis?
Before I'd recommend anything I would suggest a visit to a qualified "physiatrist". They are the physicians, familiar with sports injuries amongst others, that help keep athletes OUT of surgery while helping them to mend.
Just a thought.
Mike
always learning...
[img]http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w2qhAni/exercise.png[/img]
[img]http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w2qhAni/exercise.png[/img]
I am also a division I rower, almost exactly the same size as your daughter and in excellent shape as well. I had back problems my freshman year, and while I didn't have a stress fracture, I had a bulging disc in my lower back, which caused me severe pain and required months of physical therapy. I believe my injury was precipitated by a 2x6k on the erg also at the beginning of winter training.
After I started getting back on the erg, my coach placed some blocks of wood under the back feet of my erg to raise the back end, similar to the shoxbox, though the blocks of wood weren't quite as absorbent as I would assume that box would be. I'm not sure if helped or not, but it didn't seem to hurt.
And as Alissa mentioned, you probably would want to check to see if she can use the shoxbox and/or slides. I know that I was not allowed to use the slides as they do tend to produce different splits than regular erging. I found pretty much no difference in my splits with the blocks of wood under my erg vs. regular erging.
As I found out as I got into spring training, it seemed to be the on the water work that caused me the most pain and also ended up reinjuring me, not the erg as I had originally thought. My coaches and I believe it to be the asymmetry associated with sweep rowing. I was still experiencing pain with it at the end of the year, but I started sculling for the summer and ended up having absolutely no pain with it. I can't say what may be the reason for your daughter's injury, but these are my personal experiences. Good luck!
After I started getting back on the erg, my coach placed some blocks of wood under the back feet of my erg to raise the back end, similar to the shoxbox, though the blocks of wood weren't quite as absorbent as I would assume that box would be. I'm not sure if helped or not, but it didn't seem to hurt.
And as Alissa mentioned, you probably would want to check to see if she can use the shoxbox and/or slides. I know that I was not allowed to use the slides as they do tend to produce different splits than regular erging. I found pretty much no difference in my splits with the blocks of wood under my erg vs. regular erging.
As I found out as I got into spring training, it seemed to be the on the water work that caused me the most pain and also ended up reinjuring me, not the erg as I had originally thought. My coaches and I believe it to be the asymmetry associated with sweep rowing. I was still experiencing pain with it at the end of the year, but I started sculling for the summer and ended up having absolutely no pain with it. I can't say what may be the reason for your daughter's injury, but these are my personal experiences. Good luck!
What rowpink said about Sweeps vs. Sculling is very true. On the FISA website, they suggest that all rowers start rowing with sculls rather than sweeps as it is a symmetrical motion for the body, not asymmetric. I'm not sure if Rowpink has gone back to rowing sweeps after sculling, but I'd like to bet that the additional strength it takes to row a scull would help strengthen up your core and back for sweep rowing.
More than anything, I recommend lots of stretching both after a warmup on the erg and after erg pieces/water practices. Done properly, there should be a minimal toll on ones body from rowing and erging. Especially with stretching and strength training added in. With a pre-existing condition (no i'm not an insurance agent) like that stress fracture, training on an erg or in a shell should help to heal it, with proper physical therapy on the side.
More than anything, I recommend lots of stretching both after a warmup on the erg and after erg pieces/water practices. Done properly, there should be a minimal toll on ones body from rowing and erging. Especially with stretching and strength training added in. With a pre-existing condition (no i'm not an insurance agent) like that stress fracture, training on an erg or in a shell should help to heal it, with proper physical therapy on the side.
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During the fall of my senior year of high school I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my L5 vertabrae. This was likely a result of poor rowing technique (I used to open my back too early), and then running over the summer. Finally after a couple months of pain I went to a chiropractor. After the diagnosis I was prescribed some stretches and other core exercises for the winter. I recovered pretty well, and was fine for the spring season, if anything I was stronger than ever.
However, it's an injury that will never fully heal. I'm not supposed to run on pavement, and I have to be very careful with heavy lifting. I see the chiropractor several times per year to get my back readjusted. Stretching and icing seem to help a lot. I've also started to take a supplement of fish oil, which has improved the inflammation.
Despite any setbacks, I'm in my sophomore year of college and still rowing.
As long as her technique is ok and she's successfully completed physical therapy there's no reason that she shouldn't be able to return to rowing, as long as she's very careful. She'll probably feel like she's missed a lot of time and needs to make up for it. Make sure that she starts slowly.
Good luck.
However, it's an injury that will never fully heal. I'm not supposed to run on pavement, and I have to be very careful with heavy lifting. I see the chiropractor several times per year to get my back readjusted. Stretching and icing seem to help a lot. I've also started to take a supplement of fish oil, which has improved the inflammation.
Despite any setbacks, I'm in my sophomore year of college and still rowing.
As long as her technique is ok and she's successfully completed physical therapy there's no reason that she shouldn't be able to return to rowing, as long as she's very careful. She'll probably feel like she's missed a lot of time and needs to make up for it. Make sure that she starts slowly.
Good luck.