The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a series of movements that help evaluate and locate the cause of pain. The assessment includes 7 different movements designed to assess basic everyday patterns of movement such as bending, reaching, and squatting in those with known muscle and joint pain.
The SFMA is a diagnostic tool which helps find the cause of pain, rather than looking at just the source. When someone has knee pain, they typically try to figure out what’s wrong with the knee when the cause of pain could be coming from elsewhere such as instability of the hip, ankle mobility, and plenty of other underlying reasons. By reasonably evaluating poor movement patterns in a structured, yet simple assessment you can provide more appropriate exercises for an individual.
Why and When would you use the SFMA?
The SFMA is a pre-participation tool specifically for those dealing with musculoskeletal pain. The SFMA is commonly used as an additional tool to assess movement before creating an exercise or training program for a specific individual. When an individual has known musculoskeletal pain, the SFMA is typically used in place of other movement assessments.
A better alternative to the SFMA
For someone moving in pain, the SFMA is a great tool used to develop a plan of treatment and training. At Infinity Sports Institute, we no longer use the SFMA as part of the full evaluation to used to assess any pain through movement. In our Sports Science lab, we have a Dari-Motion System that can replace the traditional SFMA.
The Dari gives us more efficiency when it comes to collecting quantitative data. With the markerless cameras, the system automatically captures a person’s movements and provides accurate data points and reliable analysis. It also saves a lot of time when assessing the same or similar movement patterns. Without the Dari, the SFMA is still a valuable resource for professionals to use.
However, the Dari-Motion System isn’t largely accessible to the general population. It’s why at Infinity Sports Institute, we strive to make the best technology more accessible and the reason our Sports science lab is open to the public. Call to schedule your assessment now!
Dynamic Contraction Technique (DCT) is a methodology that uses eccentric muscle contractions to breakdown scar tissue. Scar tissue is abnormal unions of connective tissue in the body that form after trauma and can affect skin, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Nic Bartolotta developed the technique based on the idea of muscle tension and strategies to reduce knots within the muscles. The goal of the DCT methodology is to reestablish muscle function and improve flexibility through lengthening the active muscle under a load which is called an eccentric muscle contraction. The idea is that the eccentric contraction helps pull apart some of those muscle fibers that become knotted together creating a “tight” muscle. DCT incorporates a balance of resistance stretching and strength training that combines principles from modalities across the world in order to improve performance, reduce injury risk, and improve quality of life conditions by establishing better muscle function and reducing chronic discomfort from tight muscles.
Why and When would you use DCT?
DCT can be used for anyone. Infinity Sports Institute will apply DCT techniques on a case by case basis following a consultation and/or an evaluation. The techniques are used routinely to address injuries and for developing performance programs based on the individual’s goal. The idea of DCT simply put is to strengthen the weak tissues and expand the strong tissue. This happens by doing an eccentric muscle contraction, or by placing a load on a muscle that is being stretched and lengthened. An example of an eccentric contraction would be instead of performing a normal biceps curl up towards their chest, they slowly resist against the weight as it lowers back down away from their chest.
The Takeaway
Practitioners and clients using DCT’s methods are able to improve stability in the body, by improving movement and how the body is able to handle wear and tear. DCT’s methodology is a great resource to utilize when applied appropriately and correctly. If you have been having mobility issues and feeling tons of different knots then DCT might be for you.
Call Infinity Sports Institute now at (786)591-7586 to schedule a consultation or full functional evaluation with a professional to see if DCT techniques can help you!
Biomechanics play an important role in health, wellness, workplace health and safety, performance and research of the body. You might be asking, what are “biomechanics”? Well, biomechanics is the study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms.
As an active individual whether you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, fitness enthusiast, or your job is physically demanding; the study of your biomechanics can help solve issues that may or have already caused injury or pain.
What is DARI Motion
DARI Motion is a markerless motion capture system used to acquire the most precise, accurate and comprehensive biomechanics data in the industry.
Due to its industry leading precision and accuracy the DARI Motion is able to track changes over time with sub-millimeter accuracy. This provides us with accurate information needed to make immediate, informed decisions to adjust and guarantee each rehab, performance or recovery program is meeting your exact needs and our expectations.
The Dari Motion Tracks:
21 bone segments, nine joints, with six-degrees of freedom
Kinematics and kinetics in all planes
Range of motion
Joint torques
Internal/external rotation at the hip
Shoulder ab-duction
Anterior/posterior coronal deviation
Neuromuscular engagement, center of mass sway in all planes
All joints in space
DARI’s patented, 3rd-party validated kinetic capture collects kinetics without force plates. That means DARI can measure joint torques, ground reaction forces, and other force measurements without restricting the subject’s natural movement.
Why We Chose DARI Motion
Dari Motion is the Gold Standard and the most advanced, precise and accurate motion capture system. In order for us at Infinity Sports Institute to provide our athletes, patients, clients and members with the remarkable care, programs and outcomes we require industry leading technology and data.
The DARI Motion can be found at The Infinity Sports Institute Sports Science Lab, the only Sports Science Lab available to the public outside a University setting, in South Florida.
DARI Motion Accuracy
Most other markerless systems use a single consumer-grade depth camera originally developed for console gaming. These lack accuracy, capture a limited amount of the body, and can’t capture explosive, high-speed motions at their native 30 hz framerate.
Traditional motion labs require manual application of reflective markers on the body, causing up to 20% marker-placement error between sessions. Marker-based systems can not accurately track biomechanical data over time.
DARI uses eight high-speed cameras placed around the subject and a state-of-the-art computer-vision engine to collect whole-body data–including the fastest motions.
DARI Motion Speed
Marker-based motion analysis requires up to 45 minutes of marker placement for every session. Traditional marker-based analysis of a single human motion requires days of intensive data compiling and error-correction. By the time the data has been processed, the window of application will have passed. Therefor we will not have the chance to make accurate decisions on time.
The DARI Motion has zero markers and zero set up time. A complete body motion analysis takes under 5 minutes allowing us to scan 50 – 100 individuals per day! The DARI takes thousands of data points comprising each motion and processes them in under a second, that’s what we call FAST!
Knowledge is Potential Execution is Power
Quantification of data is useless if there is no action. The Dari Motion Provides easy-to-read reports, which our Performance and Sports Science Lab teams can explain to a 1stGrader! These reports allow us to take action steps to improving your health, performance and reducing your risk of injury. These reports include:
Muscle-mapping and injury vulnerability
Custom scoring and dynamic narratives
Data integration with other devices
Custom exercise suggestions
Single and multiple motion reports
Who should take advantage of the DARI Motion System?
The Dari Motion is used for Wellness, Workplace health, Performance and Research.
Fitness Enthusiast, Average Person
If you are trying to improve or maintain health as well as mitigate any risks for potential injury.
Employers
The DARI Motion capture platform can perform a comprehensive biomechanical analysis in as little as five minutes allowing you to efficiently screen your entire employee population for Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk and Musculoskeletal Injury Risk
Athletes and Team Organizations
DARI can collect objective, actionable biomechanical data on entire teams in a matter of hours giving athletes and training staffs the tools to transform their motion.
Competitive Athletes
Optimize Movement, Avoid Injury, Track Progress. As soon as an athlete steps out of the capture space, DARI delivers an easy-to-read report with actionable insights, allowing coaches and trainers to get to work immediately
Research Institutions
DARI’s robust motion capture allows research to be conducted on populations that are difficult to assess with traditional systems. The capture space can support implements, such as treadmills, stairs, cycles, and chairs, items that can be critical to research-specific assessments.
At Infinity Sports Institute we are dedicated in Optimizing the Human Experience by using the best of sports science, sports medicine and technology. Through the “Gold Standard” in training, recovery, physical therapy and testing we look forward to helping you reach all your goals.
If you have ever worked with us you would know how important your eyes, being barefoot, and the floor are.
If you haven’t worked with us in the past or during your initial visit you will probably be wondering: “Why is everyone barefoot, why is everyone always on the floor and why do they care about how my eyes move?”
Before we begin to answer the “Why?” we should start with the “What”; What exactly do we do? We are not in the fitness business or the physical therapy business; We are in the Optimization Business. Whether you have pain, are an athlete trying to stay healthy, you’re trying to outperform your competition, just had surgery, trying to break a record or just trying to hit your fitness goals, we are here to Optimize your human experience by achieving those goals. And guess what, your eyes, the floor, and your barefeet are important ingridients to the formula.
Your Output is only as good as the Input
Barefeet
You have about 200,000 thousand nerve endings in your foot, yes, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND! Each of those nerve endings are called exteroceptors which provide sensory information to your brain through external stimuli. Guess what? This makes your foot one of the most nerve-rich parts of your body! Your feet are crucial in providing proprioception and communicating to the brain what the body needs to do as you walk, run, jump and play. But unfortunately, we have diminished or delayed the amount of information the brain gets by wearing cushioned shoes. Shoes are great and cool but they eliminate your foot’s ability to feel, to receive the external stimuli they need in order to properly communicate with your brain. Thus, when you come see us for whatever reason, we will address that communication problem by making you go barefoot, and sometimes, that’s all you need!
Eyes
Along with your feet your eyes are crucial in recieving information. The eyes provide a large amount of the Neurosensory input your brain needs for motor control (motor control refers to the process by which the nervous system coordinates the muscle and limbs to achieve a desired movement or set of actions). Have you ever been walking on the beach and come across a patch of shells or rocks? You probably will do two things; either walk the other way or walk as lightly as you can through them. You did that thanks to the information your eyes gave your brain. Your eyes sent the info to your brain and your brain established that there was a threat, thus going into a sympathic state (Fight or Flight. Based on the information and how your brain processed it, you either walked around (flight) or just walked through (fight).
If there is a dysfunction in your eye movement, the input will be faulty and your brain will have a harder time processing the information, affecting motor control. Your eyes are crucial to your performance. Are you the person that always misses what you’re aiming at? You might want to check how your eyes are moving and how well they are sending information to the brain.
The eyes will lead us to the next topic….
The Floor
Whats up with the floor? Above we mentioned how crucial the information your eyes send to the brain is, now Imagine if you have a fear of falling; whether its because of a previous injury or just scared to fall on your ass. If you are scared of the floor, it now becomes a threat. You will respond by going into a sympathetic state (fight or flight), and you will go into flight mode, this will hinder motorol control, which can be a reason for you falling in 1..2..3…
Hopefully you didn’t fall! Have you ever been somewhere up high and someone tells you not to look down? You look down and all of a sudden you lose your balance. Well that’s what happens when the floor is a threat. Now lets add some shoes, your feet have no awareness and can’t provide your brain with the information it needs for motor control. It sounds like you will be having a bad time walking, running, jumping, and you’re probably losing your balance all the time.
Our goal is to establish the floor as a safe place and remove it from being a threat.
Optimizing the Human Experience
The floor is no longer a threat, your feet and your eyes can now provide your brain with the information it needs through better input, we now have the desired motor control to prevent injuries, enhance performance and maybe remove pain. We have now achieved Optimization of your Human Experience.
Infinity Sports Institute is dedicated in optimizing the human experience through sports science, sports medicine and technology. We believe Physical, Mental and Social components are pillars to optimizing the human experience.
IT Band Issues, Low Back Pain, Hamstring Injuries, Knee Pain, Hip and Knee Injuries, Lack of Performance, Loss of Balance, Running Slow, or worse – Seeing NO Gains? Is this you? Read Below.
The Glute. Max.
Is definitely a nice muscle to look at and one of the most powerful muscles we have. Unfortunately many of us suffer from “Glute Amnesia”, the lack of this muscle to actually work. In rehab & performance this is a topic that is touched on quite a bit. If you’ve ever been to a good Therapist, Strength and Conditioning coach, or Performance Specialist, we bet they have checked if those “awesome to look” at muscles are actually working.
You’re probably wondering, “Are my Glutes. Working?”… Well Probably not. We know, we know, you lift like everyday, run and you where a high school all star. But before we try and prove each other wrong lets go over the Gluteus Maximus.
Why is your Butt so important?
This awesome muscle definitely connects to many things at its origin and insertion – Imagine how it would make you feel if it’s sleeping on the job.
At its Origin the Glute Max inserts into the Fascia of the gluteus medius; the external surface of the ilium behind the posterior gluteal line; the fascia of the erector spinae; the dorsal surface of the sacrum; the lateral margin of the coccyx; the sacrotuberal ligament.
At its Insertion the Glute Max inserts through the Upper fibers, to the posterior part of the iliotibial tract and the fasciae latae muscles; Through the Lower fibers, to the gluteal tuberosity of the proximal femur.
did you read all that 🧐? If you didn’t here’s the quickie:
The Glute Max inserts/connects with the Glute Medius, ilium, your lower back muscles, sacrum, coccyx, a ligament at the lower and back part of the pelvis, IT Band, TFL, and the femur.
That’s a ton of connections and things that can have issues if your Glute Max is not up to par .
Now that you know where it connects – here are its actions (what it does)
It performs extension of the femur from the flexed position in the hip joint; lateral stabilization of the hip and knee joints; external rotation of the femur.
The Glute Max helps you bring back the femur from a flexed hip position such as a deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Running (extension of the hip). It helps us stabilize the hip and knee joints as well as helping us externally rotate the femur.
We can definitely agree that this awesome muscle needs to be functional during all activities: walking, using the stairs, running, weightlifting, dancing, and making the magic happen
Use it or Lose it!
You ever hear the saying “Use it’s or Lose it” well that is perfect when describing what happens to muscles that don’t get used properly. Your Glute Max is supposed to do many things, but, what happens if you sit on it for 8 hours, or your run looks more like a jog between mile 3 and 12 and you’re not going through a full running gait cycle? Unfortunately that really powerful muscle can become inhibited and atrophy. The under used Glute will recruit less motor units causing it to work less and eventually start shrinking : “You’re going to lose your Gains!”.
In the previous paragraphs you learned where the Glute. Max connects and what it does. Now, if it’s inhibited, it will cause energy leaks causing other muscles to absorb more energy and work harder as well. As the Glute Max atrophies it will cause tension in the areas where it connects.
If the Glute is sleeping on the job, it can be a reason for the IT Band issues your experiencing, that constant tension and pain in your lower back, that lateral hip pain, or knee pain. A non functional Glute Max can also be a catalyst for an injury such as ligament tear/sprain, lack of balance and loss of performance.
So, is your Glue Max working? Properly? Don’t Know? Come Check us out, send us a message or book directly using the Link on this page!
Infinity Sports Institute is dedicated in optimizing the human experience through sports science, sports medicine and technology. We believe Physical, Mental and Social components are pillars to optimizing the human experience.
I am sure you have seen a numerous amounts of athletes on TV rocking this cool looking tape on their shoulders, necks, backs and other areas. From Olympic Swimming to NBA or the NFL, athletes of all kinds are enjoying the benefits of this tape. I’m sure you’re wondering how it can help your running, right? But, before we explain how it can be used to improve your running, let’s find out what it is.
So what exactly is RockTape?
RockTape is a Kinesiology Tape preferred by many due to its high quality, pliability and great adhesive. RockTape is made from 97% Cotton 3% Nylon; with a hypo-allergenic, acrylic based adhesive that’s free of latex. This allows RockTape to outperform the competition by being stretchier and stickier.
But what is Kinesiology Tape?
Kinesiology Tape was developed in the 1970s by Dr.Kenzo Kase, from Kojimachi, Tokyo,as a way to prolong the healing effects of his treatment for his patients through the skin.
Kinesiology Tape is not like Athletic Tape. Athletic Tape is meant to be rigid, restrict motion and add support, as where Kinesiology Tape is meant to be flexible not restricting and assist in mobility, plus more!
RockTape can be used in many ways for multiple benefits.
To Relieve Pain
To Activate or De-Activate a Muscle
To Reduce Swelling
To Delay Fatigue
To Decompress
To Enhance Movement and Improve Posture
My run was amazing!! The tape was great I attribute he comfort of my run to the rock tape!!! You guys…. Rock!!
Mary Hussey – 2018 Miami Marathon participant
Improve your running
One of the major issues with runners is that lingering discomfort or pain. RockTape can be used to help with that knee, hip or lower back pain by altering the pain signals to the brain changing the way your body perceives the pain. It can do this by lifting the skin and decompressing the area where pain or discomfort is present (as shown in the image above).
That constant Knee pain/discomfort can actually be caused by energy leaks(click here for previous post on energy leaks) due to inefficient biomechanics. A great example of this is knee pain caused by an over-pronating foot. You can use RockTape to temporarily correct the medial collapse which can improve that knee pain/discomfort as well as improve your gait! This is done as the RockTape will provide Kinesthetic Guidance (tactile stimuli providing feedback to the brain on how to move) so you can move more efficiently. The RockTape acts as a physical cue to better enhance a movement pattern (as shown below)
Swollen Knees or Ankles?
No worries, RockTape can be used to help assist the lymphatic system by draining lymphatic fluid! This will not only help reduce swelling but it also helps with bruising!
RockTape can be used in so many different ways to help improve your running. Although the taping looks simple only a trained professional is able to determine why it’s needed, what needs to be taped and how it should be taped. The why, what and how are crucial in achieving a dramatic and positive effect.
Infinity Sports Institute is dedicated in optimizing the human experience through sports science, sports medicine and technology. We believe Physical, Mental and Social components are pillars to optimizing the human experience.
For all your performance, recovery, rehab and consultant needs, make sure to contact us!
For years now, people and professionals have been advocates of stretching before an exercise routine or a physical event, but we have noticed that many recreational athletes make the same mistake over and over again, when it comes to stretching in general.
Should I stretch before running?
Here is what we typically see:
Athlete 1: Does 10 static stretches for 2 reps holding 30 seconds each and then runs all out
Athlete 2: Does yoga any chance they get since it will make them more flexible and “prevent” them from getting tight.
By now you’re probably wondering “what I’m getting at?”. We are not against stretching before a run, if it’s done correctly!
Physiologically speaking, certain performance goals require a specific amount of stiffness and is quite normal in athletes. For those aiming to hit new speeds or to produce power, stiffness is needed. Let’s try a quick activity to understand the importance of stiffness in performance.
Take a rubber band and hold it at both ends so that it is loose and has no tension, pull it lightly.
Now do the same thing but this time stretch the rubber band so that it has tension, now pull it down the middle.
Which of the two methods had a good return of power? The one with tension, right? Our muscles have the same properties. Without the proper tension throughout a motion the less amount of force a person will be able to produce or absorb; leading to a weaker, slower movement and higher risk of injury.
How Should I stretch before running?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to not stretch. We still require good range of motion to perform proper technique and prevent injuries. What I’m saying is to change from excessive static stretching to pre exercise dynamic stretching instead.
One study by Zourdos1 found a significant, similar increase in flexibility in static stretching and dynamic stretching in endurance runners; but there was a significant decrease in performance in the statically stretched athlete and an increase in performance in the dynamic stretch group. Performance was based on two things time to reach distance and time to exhaustion.
Other professionals will say the same. So what do we all agree on?
A 5-10 minute of a dynamic warm up of the necessary muscles for the sport or event will not only increase range of motion, but increase metabolites and neuromuscular junctions for the activity; meaning a better outcome and prevention of muscle strains.
For ideas or help on stretching follow us on Instagram or send us an email
Stay tuned for Pt.2
By: Eric Martinez Co-Founder | Clinical Performance Specialist
Infinity Sports Institute is dedicated in optimizing the human experience through sports science, sports medicine and technology. We believe Physical, Mental and Social components are pillars to optimizing the human experience.
For all your performance, recovery, rehab and consultant needs, make sure to contact us!
Running with pain is no fun! Especially when you are training for a goal, whether it is to reach a personal best time or lose weight.
Have you looked for many solutions, but the pain keeps coming? It’s important to understand where the pain is coming from and why. To comprehend where the pain is coming from we must first understand 2 things, what is gait and what are energy leaks.
What is Gait?
In simple terms gait is how we walk or run. The difference between running and walking is not just the amount of energy you use but also the contact time with the ground. During walking we have both our feet in contact with the ground providing a more stable base vs during running only 1 foot comes in contact with the ground, we also achieve “double flight”(when both feet are off the ground at the same time).
During the Running Gait Cycle there are 2 phases (although they can be broken down into 6 or 8 sub phases)
Most hamstring injuries happen during the stance phases & the terminal swing.
During each phase your upper body is being utilized which includes: abdominals, lats, triceps and low back muscles.
What are energy leaks & how can it affect my running ?
An energy leak occurs when all the energy generated to do a movement or task does not go into that movement or task, therefor creating stress in the body and causing unnatural motion in other parts of the body (dysfunctional movement patterns).
Think about this, if your glutes don’t fire the lumbar spine and the hamstrings will experience unnecessary loading of energy. The stress caused by the unnatural movement and unnatural energy absorption/production can cause the hamstring fibers to tear and the excessive loading/compression of the lumbar may cause disc issues over time.
This can affect your running by causing pain, injury or making you fatigue quicker! Making you slower or worse, putting a pause on your running.
How can I avoid energy leaks and reduce my pain?
We recommend that you get a thorough biomechanical evaluation by a professional. To schedule a thorough biomechanical evaluation click here or the link above! Also make sure to follow us on Instagram, FaceBook and our Website.
