Professor Jill Cook on Achilles Tendon Injuries in Gymnasts (Achilles Tear Blog Series Part 2) -

Today I’m so fortunate to share an amazing interview I did with Professor Jill Cook. She is one of the world-leading experts in tendon injuries, among many other great accomplishments. I have followed Jill’s work for the last decade, which has been massively helpful for my development as a Physical Therapist and coach. There have been many discussions about the concerning rise in Achilles tear rates in the NCAA (read this popular article I wrote covering the main issues). As I was reading the latest research, I really wanted to ask Jill some questions.

She was gracious enough to offer an hour of her time. I was blown away by some of the information she shared. In this interview we discuss,

Why Achilles tendon issues are so high in gymnastics
Risk factors like high training hours when young, nutrition, and competition timelines impact injury risk
If there is a link between JO / youth gymnastics training and the risk of Achilles tears in the NCAA
What the research says about Achilles tendon rupture risk, and what people are misunderstanding
Practical ideas for reducing the risk of overuse Achilles injury and Achilles tears in gymnastics
What coaches and medical providers can do to best help gymnasts with Achilles injuries

I promise you this podcast will give you loads of information the think about! This is not only about Achilles injuries but also many other common overuse gymnastics issues. You can listen to the podcast by clicking the links below!