Med Test Typologies
Here you will find some examples of protocols you can perform with different OptoJump configurations:
Many more tests can be performed using the OptoGait system (e.g., zig zag, twist and turn, obstacles). Not everyone can be symmetrical, and some sports actually require asymmetry for enhanced performance. The OptoGait systems will measure left/right differentials. It is up to the doctors, therapists, trainers, etc. to fix, maintain, or enhance their differentials, deciding if the asymmetry is ideal or needs to be corrected.
This precise measurement of asymmetry allows range of motion/step ability to be quantified to ensure symmetrical development. By having a client do three consecutive jumps on each leg, we can determine the rhythm of power via analysis of contact and flight times. As with gait rhythm, our goal is to maximally reduce the contact and flight time asymmetries. We may get a false reading of the athlete’s performance/rehabilitation if we only compare distance achieved for each jump. Accordingly, we must account for the time to “load and explode” (contact time) or eccentric/concentric. If a client can jump 20 inches on his/her left leg three times and 20 inches on his/her right leg three times, but the time of landing and takeoff is different for each leg, an imbalance still exists. We must note this difference of “load and explode” (contact time) and direct our interventions at restoring contact time symmetry. This difference in eccentric/concentric ability defines “rhythm of power.”