Noncontact Injuries Made Extinct
We can prevent noncontact injuries (NCI). They aren’t caused by indomitable whack-a-moles that spontaneously pop out of the ground and tear Matt’s ACL upon landing (because he was trespassing, and an ass). NCI have preceding causes, many of which can be seen and acted upon to prevent innumerable tragedies. I don’t know them all yet, but they usually arise as qualitative or quantitative factors.
Qualitative: you moved bones in ways they should not move.
Quantitative: you did too much or too little in the wrong amount of time.
Both qualitative and quantitative: A messy situation that requires a lot of skillful intervention.
Some of these dangers exist in you, right now, and you have no idea.
Once you understand these factors, you can prevent many injuries before they happen. A problem with these two Qs is that one is more measurable than the other. In this post, I will address the more nebulous of the two.
How do we assess quality, and is it the same for everyone? Who’s methodology is right? Which acronym reigns? FRC? PRI? RPR? DNS? AEM? OSE? What if it’s none of them?
I wanted to create a methodology with the least human error, ego, and bias. So I let evolution speak for itself. Its languages are behavior and anatomy, and it has written “words” with our bones, joints, and tissues. Each one has a meaning. Those meanings are specific movement patterns. Our structures are meant to move in certain ways defined by evolution.
Let me act as an interpreter: Evolution enlarged and rounded our heels, which means we should walk with a rolling heel strike that makes us extremely efficient. That is an inarguable fact and a clear translation. There are similar translations for every part of the human body: thumbs, spines, ankles, jaws, and even knees have secrets beyond hinging, ones that mother nature has written into our sinew.
Here’s a fun one: did you know that the rotator cuffs of orangutans and chimpanzees are nearly identical to ours? I translate this point a lot because it warrants the repetition: species with rotator cuffs (arboreal primates) are meant to climb, hang, and swing. We still have rotator cuffs because our ancestors benefited from using them. We have a pandemic of shoulder problems because most humans do not use their rotator cuffs as evolution intended.
Look, there is no perfect way to move. But there are better and worse ways, and they are defined by evolution. The pandemic of low back pain has nothing to do with “poor skeletal design” and everything to do with user error. Health and athleticism flourish when humans move in harmony with evolution’s anatomical scripture.
Does everyone need the same medicine? Yes and no. The prescription is similar—humans need to move like humans. But the dose depends on the person because capacities differ, and the needs of the individual guide evolutionary interventions.
Technique & Normal Human Movement
I separate sports techniques from normal human movement. People can use different sequences to put one foot in front of the other on a track. But that doesn’t change the fact that our knees should bend certain ways. When they bend, and how they bend in relation to other joints can differ from human to human. However, some of those differences will cost more energy than others, and you’d better have the capacity for them. (These are the quantitative issues that I will address in a future post.)
All I’m talking about here are differences in how humans create force to move, and the knee of a track athlete is just one example. I could have mentioned the ankle, wrist, or pinky finger and whatever sport is on the cover of Obscure Sports Quarterly (Brockian Ultra Cricket). Regardless of joint or sport, technical models must fit into evolution’s design. If they don’t, the best outcome is an increased risk of injury; the worst is tearing a piece of yourself in two.
Evolution Will Transform Sports
Even though noncontact injuries are becoming synonymous with sports, we are not a species destined for injuries just because we like to play games. They don’t just randomly happen because of bad luck. They are effects, and all effects have causes.
We can prevent noncontact injuries before they happen. It’s just a matter of discovering the right precursors that increase the risks of injury. We do that by investigating the histories of injured and healthy athletes, understanding great research, and then having successful interventions that keep athletes healthy.
I don’t know all the precursors to noncontact injuries, but that’s where I’m headed. I teach what I know in my courses, and so far, my students have repeated the results I get. Several times per course, I get texts that read like, “Duuuuude. Remember that girl Sylvie I brought to class? She just told me her knee is pain-free for the first time in five years!” I check back with the students months later and almost always hear that athletes like Sylvie have stayed healthy and have had fantastic seasons.
Here’s another story, but I must omit specific details. A national governing body told one of their Olympic hopefuls—a shoo-in for a gold medal—that he had only two weeks to improve his injury or else they would “strongly suggest” surgery. (AKA: force him to get surgery🤦♂️.) His coach, luckily, was in my course at the time. This coach used what he learned in my class, and the athlete showed significant gains in two weeks, which meant the athlete didn’t need surgery and now has a chance to medal in 2024. That is fucking awesome. That is why I teach.
Evolved Coaches Create Evolved Athletes (Who Stay Healthy)
To be precise, the number of injuries I believe Evolved Coaches will prevent is 1.6e9 buttloads. It’s hard to know if an injury was destined to tear down an athlete if it never occurs. But as Evolved Coaching grows, a trend will arise. It already has. Athletes who see Evolved Coaches stay healthier than those who don’t. This next point may be obvious to some, but others need to see the light: if athletes stay healthy, they can keep playing their sports. If they keep competing, they can keep getting better.
Where are all these Evolved Coaches? They’re on the way as I roll out more courses. I’m working on a certification process to create a list of qualified individuals who have practiced and excelled with EC. Athletes need resources that are leagues beyond what our culture offers them, and our traditions fail too many of them.
I see a future where athletes retire with working bodies and look back on injury-free careers. It’s not impossible! It’s just hard and complex but so worthwhile. It’s one of a few north stars to which I dedicate my life. Since this dream has become possible for a few Evolved Athletes, I know it’s possible for many because we’re all human. It’s just a matter of time—and evolution.
—Austin
In a future post, I’ll talk about the quantitative aspects of preventing noncontact injuries. If you haven’t already, hand over that sweet, sweet email of yours and I’ll do this thing where I send posts to your inbox. Magic! I know! (I’m living in the 1990s this morning.)
If you’re a coach who wants to be a part of this movement, sign up for a course here.
If you’re an athlete, you can apply for training here.