Nell’arco della mia carriera sportiva e riabilitativa ho sentito parlare della relazione infortuni/sport nei modi più assurdi e insensati, spesso portando avanti falsi miti assolutamente ingiustificati.
Quante volte poi ho sentito demonizzare attrezzature da palestra e attrezzi per il rinforzo isocinetico o isotonico senza alcun fondamento, né biomeccanico né scientifico.
“Non fare la leg extension perché ti verrà la tendinite… Oppure, se fai così ti sfasci il crociato” per non parlare del tanto demonizzato Multipower.
Questo breve articolo mira proprio a sfatare qualche mito riguardo all’incidenza degli infortuni e al tipo di allenamento svolto.
GLI SPORT COI PESI infatti non sono tra i più pericolosi come rischio infortunio.
ANZI, sembrerebbe, da una recente revisione sistematica della letteratura esistente, che l’allenamento coi pesi e gli allenamenti come il sollevamento pesi, il powerlifting, il bodybuilding, gli Highland games, il CrossFit e il Cross Training siano tra gli sport meno rischiosi se paragonati a qualunque sport di squadra.
Ci sono degli alti tassi di infortunio invece negli sport da combattimento e negli sport di situazione come la pallavolo, il basket e nel calcio (incredibilmente, nella pallavolo pur non essendoci contrasto diretto con l’avversario).
Per quanto potesse sembrare scontato che da uno sport da combattimento possa derivare un alto “rischio infortunio”, in verità anche qui sembrerebbe dipenda più dal livello al quale si svolge la competizione più che dal tipo di arte marziale.
Sembra interessante infatti scoprire che non sono i professionisti, ma sono gli amatoriali quelli più soggetti ad infortuni (negli sport da combattimento). Una delle possibili giustificazioni sarebbe che gli amatoriali dedichino decisamente meno tempo alla preparazione atletica, al riscaldamento e al raffreddamento, due tempi fondamentali nella preparazione atletica per lavorare sulla mobilità articolare, la flessibilità e la prevenzione degli infortuni.
Tornando agli allenamenti che prevendono l’uso di sovraccarichi e pesi, è un luogo comune da sfatare dunque che essi siano pericolosi e “lesivi” per le articolazioni o i tendini.
Infatti, le forze di taglio e gli stress articolari che entrano in gioco utilizzando le macchine isotoniche ed isocinetiche sono infinitamente più basse e spesso decisamente trascurabili rispetto a sport dove vengono previsti contrasti, movimenti balistici e contraccolpi.
Fare lo squat non distrugge le ginocchia così come sollevare un peso sopra la testa non “sfascia” la spalla.
L’incidenza di sindromi dolorose alla spalla è decisamente più alta nel NUOTO (tendenzialmente invece millantato come panacea di tutti i mali) che nei sollevatori di pesi; questo perché il gesto viene ripetuto per migliaia di volte ogni allenamento e l’usura da movimenti ripetuti è quindi maggiore rispetto all’usura data dal sovraccarico.
È chiaro che non bisogna generalizzare e bisogna entrare nello specifico dello sport; è importante che la progressione e la programmazione dell’allenamento sia studiata sulla persona e non lasciata al caso o peggio a persone improvvisate, soprattutto se avete attualmente o in passato dei disturbi a qualche distretto.
Un istruttore o un preparatore atletico serio, tra i suoi obiettivi dovrebbe avere la prevenzione degli infortuni ma spesso il voler soddisfare l’aspettativa irrealistica del cliente per far su di esso vince la sensatezza e sostenibilità del programma di allenamento.
Il mio consiglio dunque è:
praticate sport, a prescindere da quale esso sia, ma informatevi con il preparatore atletico o l’istruttore se vi sono controindicazioni particolari o quali siano i distretti più soggetti a problematiche in quel determinato sport (un allenatore competente vi saprà rispondere e generalmente prima di allenarvi cerca già di indagare sul vostro stato funzionale) e fatevi guidare con criterio nel percorso di allenamento o ricondizionamento.
Qualora poi abbiate sofferto o soffriate già di qualche disturbo forse sarebbe meglio che chiediate al vostro fisioterapista un consiglio più specifico in merito.
Un fisioterapista esperto in patologie ortopediche, sport e allenamento sicuramente non vi metterà dei paletti ingiustificati ma anzi cercherà di aiutarvi a continuare ad allenarvi nel vostro sport relazionandosi magari con il preparatore o l’allenatore.
Dott. Marco Segina
Responsabile della sezione Fisioterapia Ortopedica e Sport del Poliambulatorio Fisiosan con sede a Trieste e a Muggia.
Amministratore della Polisportiva Venezia Giulia SSDarl – con sezioni Volley, Basket, BodyBuilding, Pesistica, Corsa, MountainBike.
Laureato in Fisioterapia con Lode C/o Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia di Trieste e Vincitore del premio miglior tesi di Laurea in Italia nel 2008 (Una nuova Scala di Valutazione delle Lombalgie).
Altri titoli:
Master Universitario in ecografia muscoloscheletrica per fisioterapisti e podologi;
Master Universitario in Osteopatia;
Diploma di Osteopractor (American Academy of Manipulative Therapy);
Diploma di Chiroterapia e manipolazioni vertebrali (Manipulation Italian Academy);
Diploma di Preparatore Atletico;
McKenzie method (level A,B,C,D,E);
Stecco method (I e II livello);
Dry Needlig cert. (American Academy of ManipulativeTherapy);
Spinal Manipulation cert. (American Academy of Manual Therapy);
McGill method (I,II,III livello);
Documentarion based care certificate instructor;
Istruttore di Functional Trainig;
Personal Trainer;
Tecnogym Exercise specialist.
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