About

About SNAKECURL®

SNAKECURL® Ankle Straps make resistance bands easier to use without slipping, chafing and bruising. The straps isolate, tone and build more muscle groups, quickly and easily! It is a truly innovative device that replaces alternative methods that are too cumbersome and generalized for specific lower body muscle groups. It is proven to enhance your resistance band exercises. The straps enable you to start 'direction bias' exercises with resistance bands in order to improve performance, recover faster and prevent injuries. Train your glutes, hamstrings, knees, hip flexors, abductors and adductors. The straps are also ideal for hip internal/external rotators and multi planer movements. It also assists with recovery for low grade hamstring injuries and groin strain. Train in your gym, home and office - or on vacation. The straps are small and handy to pack in your gym bag or suitcase. Start band exercises that replicate the movements of cable machine leg exercises. The unique SNAKECURL® training device is patent office registered.

Not seeing any improvements after hamstring injury?

Here’s what you need to implement in your rehab exercise

For many years, physical therapists told us that resistance training is the best exercise for hamstring injury. However, when implementing this technique, we have to face a common problem. It is termed direction bias.

What is direction bias?

The best way to explain direction bias is by picturing someone who always says “I can’t play soccer”. This constant state of denial may probably affect an individual’s performance in any given sport. It is a mindset or “bias”, and may have a positive or negative impact.

Direction bias follows a similar principle, but it is not an affirmation or a conscious mindset. The central nervous system is always trying to protect the body from injury. Therefore, it will restrict movement beyond what “feels” safe. However, sometimes the body does not know its own boundaries. Our nervous system is probably restricting movement more than it should in an attempt to keep us safe. Moreover, directional preference and unconscious repeated movements may be contributing to pain outcomes as well (1).

This biased movement patterns result from:

· Our development: Our preferred way of using muscle combinations and movements for a given action. This is highly variable from one individual and the other. It is based on body structures, side dominance, and other anatomic differences we may have.

· An underlying pathology: For example, hamstring injury. When you are doing rehab exercises, your body probably will not respond as it normally did before the injury. This is your body becoming conscious about the pathology and protecting you from further harm.

In both cases, direction bias is protecting you. However, there could be an alternative way to make your movements more accurate. That is why we use a technique named “bias-training”. It is meant to reprogram your brain, make your movements more accurate, and keep you safe during your rehab exercises.

Implementing direction bias to your hamstring injury rehab exercises

Bias-training for your hamstring injury or any other injury should always start with an initial assessment. You will be examined thoroughly as you walk and perform certain leg movements. This initial assessment is aimed to look for a movement pattern or repeated movements you are probably doing unconsciously. It is based on a very accurate measurement that predicts your performance in rehab exercises (2).

Based on this initial assessment, your therapist will have an understanding of your direction bias. Then, you will go through a set of intervention exercises. They are meant to challenge your central nervous system and show an alternative way of moving. After repeating the movements, your nervous system will understand this new movement pattern is safe as well. Moreover, you may even predict and prevent injury by evaluating other asymmetrical movements you are not aware of (3).

In the process, your range of motion and other key aspects in your rehab will improve rapidly. After you have made an improvement, you will go through a retesting to evaluate your progress and program a new strategy.

In a nutshell, if your rehab exercises for hamstring injury are not working out as they should, you probably need to assess your direction bias and start bias-training to re-educate your nervous system and see faster improvements.

Can we use leg extensions for knee rehab therapy?

There are machines you will always find in a gym, and one of them is the leg extension machine. However, if you have knee pain issues, this type of exercise might not be appropriate. At least not with the usual technique. So, if you are using leg extensions for knee rehab therapy, consider the recommendations and alternatives outlined below.

Leg extension pros and cons

Leg extensions are excellent to strengthen the quadriceps. However, they do have pros and cons that we should consider:

Pros

· They isolate the quads. As such, they are an excellent way to strengthen this muscle.

· They also strengthen the patellar ligament, which is appropriate for knee rehab.

· When you slow down the contraction, leg extensions help you grow your muscular awareness.

Cons

· It is a one-direction and repetitive movement that may put stress on your joints.

· Isolating the quads will not be useful for athletes if they do not exercise other muscle groups.

· Using a higher weight every time can ultimately affect your joint, even if you do not have knee pain.

Leg extension technique for knee pain

For knee rehab, leg extension exercises should be performed with a completely different technique. Otherwise, we would have the following problems:

· A great deal of force will be placed on the back of the knee cap. This may worsen cartilage issues.

· The tibia will be moving forward on the femur. This movement increases the stretch on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It may worsen an ACL lesion if not correctly managed.

To avoid all of the above, what we can do is use a completely different technique for leg extensions. Instead of a high weight, use very light weights. Change those 1-second repetitions into a 30-second up, 30-second down repetition. In case you have an ACL lesion, you need to ask your therapist what degree of extension is appropriate for you. In some cases, leg extensions will be completely contraindicated.

Bias-training as a fitting alternative for knee pain rehab

Leg extensions are not always a good exercise for knee rehab. But there are many other options you can use, and one of them is bias-training.

As a rehab technique, bias-training evaluates the movement limitations in your lower extremities. It uses targeted exercises to challenge your nervous system and remove those barriers. As such, bias-training is an excellent technique to increase the range of motion and optimize the movements of your legs.

It is also useful for athletes after knee rehab. Bias-training improves their physical performance by detecting and treating small irregularities, muscle instabilities, and unbalanced body movements. Left untreated, these may facilitate re-injury or cause a new lesion elsewhere.

So, if you are undergoing knee rehab and thinking about strengthening your quads with a leg extension machine, be careful to do only very slow repetitions with a light weight, and consider bias-training and other alternatives to complement your workout and accelerate your recovery.