I don't want to discount Gordon's theory for a moment as I had a herniated disc for at least a decade and finally ended up with an L5/S1 laminectomy almost 6 years ago.  Looking at the back as a source of problems elsewhere is never a bad idea.

Having said that, I think the coach is on the right track here.  I can't believe how many of my jumpers either don't understand or don't 'trust" the physics of the event enough to believe that with any speed whatsoever they are destined for the pit.

The toeing-out theory as the contributing factor to this problem sounds right as the point of soreness/discomfort corresponds with where that type of force would likely be focused.

My suggestion is the suggestion I use with most of these problems.  Put the bar at a height about 8" (20 cm.) below his best full approach jump and jump him from 4 steps.  That will take the speed out of the equation to a large degree and lower the bar to the point where he's not concerned with clearing it and you can start to make him understand that he'll land in the pit without trying but he has to plant his foot in-line with the rest of his body if he wants to eliminate this pain and risk further injury.

The first time he commits to trusting that he'll land in the pit should be enough to convince him that Isaac Newton isn't just some dead guy who wrote laws that can't be changed.

It's worth a try.

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Coach Stones

www.DwightStones.com

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [HJ] Leg Problem
From: Gordon Loudon <gordon_loudon@...>
Date: Wed, November 30, 2005 7:40 am
To: highjump@yahoogroups.com

Hi

 

Sorry to hear that your athete is experiencing pain. I suffer from mild sciatica, due to a back injury I picked up over a year ago. You may know that this is caused by a disc or other injury putting pressure on the sciatic nerve which runs down from the back to the leg.

 

Although at first my lower back was very sore, the pain I now experience is seldom in my back area at all but is "referred" pain. This can be a sharp stabbing pain running the whole length of my leg, like lightning down the nerve, a dull ache in my calf or even heel, or any sensation in between these extremes at any point along the nerve. Two nights ago I awoke to a throbbing pain in the outside of my calf and was worrying that it might be a thrombosis (funny how you always think the worst at 3am). Then I remembered my old friend, my sciatic nerve.

 

I'm no medic but I have been experiencing this weird ghost pain from an injury nowhere near the site. If he is an active athlete, perhaps he has injured his lower back! There are lots of resources on the internet about sciatica and I believe that ultrasound scans can be used to investigate for disc ruptures or other causes of the pressure.

 

Good luck!

Gordon

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