One area we focus a lot on with our big hockey & lacrosse population is the Lats/shoulders. One way to assess whether its a lat or shoulder issue is using the wall test. Simply get an athlete to get their back against the wall and ask them to touch their thumb to the wall without any extra cueing ("Flat back, don't arch, don't bend elbows) (Thanks to Chayse from Cornell Lacrosse for the demo!)
Now in this example, I asked chayse to showcase to very common problems we see.
1st Issue-
Bending of the Elbows during end range of motion-->Insertion issue (Bicipital groove) If we see this, our next step is to address the lats directly with soft tissue work with Foam rollers, peanuts, lax balls or best case manual therapy by our in-house massage therapists, Restorative Bodywork. After any foam rolling, its vital to "reset" the tissue with an emphasis on eccentric lat strength. Two on my favorites are the supine pull over which is the same thing we did against the wall. As an added bonus, we also get a anterior core workout as Chayse is fighting to not arch his back. I also love the Thoracic/Tricep mobilization stretch using PVC pipes. A few others are TRX overhead elevation and a simple prayer stretch.
2nd Issue-
Arching of the low back at the end range of motion. This is typically a origin issue of the lats (Lumbar Fascia) If you see this during the assessment, your next step can be drills to work motor control of the lumbar spine. Some tools may be anti-extension based movements, dead bugs, deadlifts (yes, done right, they are a great tool for lowbacks), and more. Key take away is that if its a motor control issue (arching) foam rolling and stretching are probably not going to solve any issue. Instead, strengthen stuff around the spine using anterior core/control drills and classic strength training.
Would also like to thank Mana Performance Therapy, for always equipping our staff with tools to use.
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