and tournaments go to 13 – but also wins by at least two points. Each endzone catch is worth one point. What makes “ultimate” so unique is that there are no referees – everyone is expected to know the rules and call their own fouls. If there is a dispute that cannot be settled between the two players involved in the play in question, the play starts again from where the disc was thrown before the questionable play occurred. COMMON INJURIES AND CHIROPRACTIC IN “ULTIMATE” The most common injuries that occur while playing “ultimate” are ankle and knee sprains. You can count on seeing at least one person wearing a knee or ankle brace at any given game. The vast majority of players wear football or soccer-style cleats with rubber spikes and play on grass fi elds. The key to “getting open” when you are on offence is to make sharp-angled cuts to get space between you and your defender. Those sharp, sud- den moves are one instance where these injuries might occur. As well, when jumping to catch a disc in a crowd of players – referred to as a “hospital pass,” as it is in many sports – landing awkwardly can cause those sprains and strains. Familiarity with some soft tissue techniques such as Active Release Techniques (ART) or Graston Technique are a great treat- ment tool in dealing with scar tissue management in knee and ankle injuries. One of my favourite aspects of “ultimate” is the many differ- ent ways that you can throw the disc. There is the conventional backhand throw, but also the forehand (referred to as the “flick”), overhand (“hammer” throw), push pass and sidearm (“scoober”). These throws can be made to curve in or out as well. Between all the throws in warming up for a game, and the game itself, over- use syndrome of the muscles in the wrist, forearm and shoulder girdle can result. This is seen in many tournament players as, in “ultimate” tournaments, teams typically play six or more games in two days. Someone who depends on the forehand flick throw will have hypertonicity of their wrist fl exors, where subscapu- laris and even the oblique abdominal muscles can be involved as well. Frequent backhand throwers can stress the wrist and forearm extensors and the external rotators of the shoulder such as the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles. Again, knowledge of soft tissue techniques, combined with a home and pre-game stretch routine, will enable a practitio- ner to address the muscle overuse issues in the wrist, forearm and shoulder. Chiropractic manipulation can be used to look for fi xations not only in the joints of the upper extremity, but also the spine, especially in the thoracic area. As much as there is an emphasis in snapping your wrist in the “follow through” to make the disc spin – which will make it fl y nice and fl at – using trunk rotation while following through on the forehand or backhand throw is essential to put the proper distance on your pass. KNOWLEDGE – THE PRACTICE-BUILDING PEARL The “practice-building pearl” to be taken from this article is that although ultimate frisbee is not well known, most of the people who have played for more than three years are very passionate about their sport. If you show that you have some knowledge of it, they will be impressed. It can be annoying to hear “ultimate frisbee – what’s that?” and then have to explain the sport to a caregiver. Having this prior knowledge will, no doubt, help build a good rapport with your patient.• www.canadianchiropractor.ca To register for any of these seminars, contact The Orthotic Group at 1-800-551-3008. 2008 SEMINARS THE ORTHOTIC GROUP seminars are an excellent way for healthcare professionals to gain a deeper understanding of custom orthotic therapy, lower limb biomechanics and gait analysis. In celebration of TOG’s 20th Anniversary, we launched our first ever SUPER SEMINAR in Markham in September 2006. This seminar was a resounding success! Don’t miss your opportunity to hear NEW INFORMATION presented by Dr. Kim Ross and Dr. Alan Lustig, D.P.M, two recognized speakers in their fields. Now offered in various cities across Canada, these events promise to offer tremendous value for your orthotic practice! Dr. Alan Lustig, D.P.M. 2008 ADVANCED FOOT BIOMECHANICS & CUSTOM ORTHOTIC 2008 SUPER SEMINARS April 12 – Edmonton, AB May 3 – Halifax, NS September 13 – Markham, ON 2008 FOOT BIOMECHANICES & CUSTOM ORTHOTIC THERAPY– Level 1 February 23 - Markham, ON March 29 – Ottawa, ON May 2 – Halifax, NS May 24 – Markham, ON May 31 - Vancouver, BC September 20 – Calgary, AB Nov 1 – Markham, ON 160 Markland Street Markham ON L6C 0C6 Canada Dr. Kim Ross B. SC., M.Sc., D.C., Ph.D. Biomechanics THERAPY – Level 2 March 14 – Markham, ON March 30 – Ottawa, ON April 13 - Edmonton, AB May 4 – Halifax, NS June 1 – Vancouver, BC June 13 – Markham, ON September 21 – Calgary, AB November 14 – Markham, ON 2008 GAIT ANALYSIS February 24 – Markham, ON March 28 - Ottawa, ON April 11 – Edmonton, AB May 25 – Markham, ON May 30 – Vancouver, BC September 19 – Calgary, AB Nov 2 – Markham, ON t. 800.551.3008 f. 877.551.3001 www.theorthoticgroup.com CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2008 • 45
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