Shaquille O’Neal’s hip injury and how you can avoid it

Shaquille O’Neal is currently suffering from an injury to his left hip and quadriceps, after it further aggravated during the Miami Heat’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite Shaquille O’Neal previously being diagnosed with inflammation in his left hip and quadriceps tendon, the competition got the best of him as he tried to endure the pain and keep playing.

After only a few minutes of play, it was obvious that Shaquille O’Neal had been hurt. MRI reports from the next day’s exam confirmed her diagnosis of acute inflammation in her left hip. Doctors suggest Shaq rest for the next 6 games, or 2 weeks, until the swelling has had a chance to subside. Doctors, teammates and head coach Pat Riley suggest that Shaq has tried many means of rehabilitation to strengthen his hip and give him the best chance of playing again. Unfortunately, only passive rest is suggested at this time.

Inflammation of the hip flexor and quadriceps tendon are not uncommon diagnoses. Unfortunately, as a product of intense play and improper training techniques, we are all at risk for these types of injuries. Many people simply decide to ‘self-treat’ through ‘trimming’ without ever giving their bodies a real chance to heal. Did you know that your body wants to heal in a particular order?

Before strengthening an injured joint, it is more important to shift all stressors to another area of ​​the body by strengthening surrounding uninvolved structures. There is a high probability that Shaquille O’Neal lacks flexibility in his internal and external hip rotators, the muscles that allow him to turn his toes in and out. As a result, additional stress will be placed on other areas, including the quads, hips, and lower spine. With a lack of hip flexibility, most of the stress placed on the body during normal activities, such as walking, passes through the lower spine. Naturally, he can imagine the number of times his spine would be injured during the day, let alone during an intense basketball game. Mr. O’Neal may not know it, but forced rest may be the savior of his back, which could be a much bigger problem.

To prevent these types of injuries and restore your body’s natural movement patterns, it’s wise to engage in a full-body exercise program, with particular emphasis on lower-back strengthening and lower-body flexibility. Most people, especially men, have very tight hip internal and external rotators. It is imperative that we strengthen our lower back muscles while improving hip flexibility to improve force attenuation through our spine. Through a proper strengthening and stretching program, most of these injuries can be prevented before they occur.